The Town of Battleford is moving to a bi-weekly garbage pickup schedule during the winter months only. (file photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

In the chambers

Town moving to bi-weekly garbage pickup over winter period

Feb 13, 2020 | 1:10 PM

Battleford residents will need to put their garbage out a little less over the winter time now that the town is switching to a bi-weekly pickup for this period only.

Starting the week of March 3 to April 30, 2020 pickup will be every second week, on the same collection days of the week normally scheduled (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday).

Weekly pickup will start again May 4 to Nov. 6 for the summer period.

Then, bi-weekly pickup will run Nov. 9, 2020 to April 30, 2021 for the winter period.

There will be an extra garbage pickup during Christmas period, with a pickup a week prior and on Christmas week.

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There will be no change to the weekly Monday compost pickup.

“Council feels during the summer months, it’s imperative to have [garbage pickup] weekly,” Mayor Ames Leslie said. “But they have approved a bi-weekly pickup during the winter time. So from the first week of November to April 30 it will be a bi-weekly garbage pickup. It will start March 3 of this year just as a trial.

“It is going to be a little bit of a change, but I think with the addition of recycling and compost bins, the focus on waste garbage is diminishing,” the mayor added.

The town hopes to encourage more people to recycle with the new system which will also help reduce the volume of garbage people accumulate.

Initially administration recommended having a bi-weekly garbage pickup throughout the year, instead of weekly as it is currently. However, council preferred keeping the pickup weekly over the summer period when the weather is warmer to reduce odours.

CAO John Enns-Wind said in his report since so many residents have been using the recycling programs, both for composting and blue bin recycling, the town has less of a need for weekly garbage pickup.

He also said Loraas Environmental Services indicated every municipality in which the firm provides blue bin recycling has moved to bi-weekly garbage pick up but one. It also stated one community has moved to a bi-weekly pickup in the winter and weekly in the summer.

The town would see savings from reduced wear and tear on the garbage pickup vehicle, reduced fuel consumption costs and reduced tipping fees. Workers would now have three workdays over a two-week period they could instead spend on other tasks, such as asphalt patching, street sweeping, dust control and repairing small equipment for example.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow