Future Recycling System at the LSLRWMSC Regional Landfill will enhance onsite operations and position itself to optimally service neighbours.
March 28, 2024 - A motion was made by the Lesser Slave Lake Regional Waste Management Services Commission (LSLRWMSC, the “Commission”) to approve $176,000 for a new ‘Recycling Hub’, with construction to take place at the Regional Landfill starting in the Spring of 2024 and be fully operational by the fall of 2024.
The new facility will consist of a ‘new to the landfill’ commercial sized recycling baler housed within a larger, heated shelter with an offloading ramp. The ultimate goal of the enhanced facility is to address a number of deficiencies and operational concerns with the existing recycling system, which has now outgrown its original intended use. Concerns include a tedious baling process and contamination of recycling product associated with the current system, which is limited in space, baling capacity, and the proper infrastructure to provide a protected work environment and storage space. Furthermore, as industrial and agricultural activity continues to flourish in the area, volumes of recycling material received at the landfill are significantly increasing, further supporting the need for an enhanced system. As the new operations will reduce contamination of the end product, this means more recycling revenue and cost-savings due to saving landfill air-space from the additional diversion from the landfill cell. It is anticipated that the return of investment for the new system will be less than two years.
Large, heated shelter to house new baler and store recycling products (bales).
Commercial sized, Re-built Baler to be used to bale recycling products.
Once the facility is constructed and fully operational (2025 onwards), administration will work towards transforming the Regional Landfill into a ‘Regional Recycling Hub’. This will allow the site to receive additional recyclable material from surrounding communities, businesses and First Nations groups, while generating increased product revenue.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Program
The provincial EPR program, which shifts the financial and operational obligations of recycling products and packaging from communities to producers, continues to unfold in Alberta, with the Commission registered and on track to receive EPR services starting in April of 2025. Increased waste diversion through enhanced recycling remains a focal point of the program, additionally supporting the future plans of the Regional Landfill. Furthermore, the Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) which are designated through the program to represent the producers in AB, are actively seeking prime locations for processing sites. This will result in additional revenue for the landfill, as received from the PROs. Conversations regarding this next step are underway, including details as to what this revenue will look like.
“The Commission is committed to remaining solution-focused while working collaboratively to address common challenges in the waste and recycling industry” - Brad Pearson, Chair Pearson, LSLRWMSC
~The Commission’s services and programs strive to align with the MD’s vision to provide accurate, efficient, and effective municipal service delivery~
A communications plan will be designed specifically for the community, providing education on the upcoming changes at the Regional Landfill, the EPR program, and what this looks like for them in the near future.
Download the press release HERE.
