Curbside composting program now available in Meadow Lake

Meadow Lake residents can now sign up for a curbside compost bin.

After piloting the program last year, Shkopich Enviro, the company already providing waste and recycling services to the city, launched a curbside compost program for the collection of organics, including unbagged leaves, unbagged grass clippings and non-woody vegetation like weeds. No branches, logs, stumps, kitchen scraps, garbage or other recyclable items will be allowed.

The program is not mandatory, but those interested can sign up for the season, which runs from May to approximately October at a cost of $70. The bins will be picked up on the same schedule as recycling.

The organics were collected for the first time last year after President Layne Shkopich approached city council for approval in early May. The company’s original goal was to have over 50 residents participate, Shkopich said, and more than 65 signed up.

“We’re starting fresh because we had such a good turnout with it last year,” Shkopich said. “This year they’ll get the service for the full term.”

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Shkopich said the feedback was positive during the program’s pilot, and he even had a few clients requesting once-a-week pick-up for yard organics. A few others also said they would love to see a full organic program, which would include composting food waste.  

“We just don’t have the programs in place for that at this time,” Shkopich said. “One day in the future, that will be offered as well.”

Having yard waste brought to the city’s compost site instead of the regional landfill will have significant financial and environmental impacts as well, he added.

“When the residents put grass clippings in, it costs the taxpayers a lot more money when it reaches the landfill site, because everything out there is charged by weight,” Shkopich said. “At the end of the day for the taxpayers, it helps us all. It cuts back a lot of costs at the landfill facility as well, and of course we can reuse that product again one day.”

The program is currently only open to residents of Meadow Lake.

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca

On Twitter @ReporterKath