City migrates to new waste, recycling reminder app with education focus

“When non-recyclable material ends up in the recycle stream, it makes the rest of the materials in there un-recyclable,” she said. “If someone does their own oil change and puts the used oil in the recycle cart, if that cart gets dumped into the truck, every bit of material in that truck is now contaminated and can’t be recycled.”

MacCormack said this can be an issue in North Battleford, noting waste collectors have found everything from garden hoses to bread and fish and even needles.

“That is a big safety concern,” she said. “[The crews] take the contents to their facility and it goes on a conveyer belt and you have people going in and helping to sort some of that material.”

Recycle Coach works with Google Home and Amazon Alexa, allowing users to ask the devices for recycling tips and information.

People are able to use the application’s problem reporting tool, which is equipped with geolocation, to notify the municipal government about issues like missed collections. MacCormack said this gives residents another way to contact city hall without ringing the phone.

On the other side, should the city have a large wind storm or snowfall that delays pick-up, the city can use the app to notify residents.

Those without a mobile smartphone can still look up their pick-up dates from the city’s website any time.

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tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr

by Tyler Marr

City migrates to new waste, recycling reminder app with education focus

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