City selects neighbourhoods to test new waste collection system

The city has selected 8,000 Edmonton homes in 13 neighbourhoods to test out the new waste collection system over the summer.

Residents of those homescan expect to receive letters this week letting them know they will be participating in the small-scale rollout.

The collectionroutes wereselected to provide a representative sample of the city, takinginto consideration neighbourhood design, mature and new neighbourhoods, front and back-alley collection routes and demographic diversity,the city said in news release Tuesday.

The neighbourhoods are: Baturyn, Beacon Heights, Brintnell, Cy Becker, Chambery, Delwood, Ellerslie, Forest Heights, Kensington, Kiniski Gardens, Miller, Satoo and Tamarack.

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The new system will be built aroundfeedback from citizens and looking at what othermunicipalities are doing, the release said.

Each residence will get a green cart for food scraps and day-to-day yard waste, which will be emptiedweekly in the spring, summer and fall, and biweekly in the winter.

They will also get a black cart for garbage, which will be collected every second week, year-round.

Blue bags, for recyclable paper, plastics, glass and canswill continue to be collected weekly.

Seasonal yard waste placed in large paper bags will be collectedtwice in the spring and twice in the fall.

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The program for the homes selected will begin the week of April 15.

Participants will be supported by in-person visits, by phone and onlineleading up to the launch and throughout the roll out.

The waste service branch will use the test to learn what works and what needs adjustment before rolling out the program citywide, the release said.