St. Albert has taken an even bigger bite out of trash than expected this year thanks to curbside recycling, say city staffers.
St. Albert brought in new pay-as-you-throw rates and curbside recycling last summer, moves that were supposed to increase the amount of recyclables residents kept out of the trash by about 50 per cent.
The city actually collected about 5,000 tonnes of recyclables from June 2009 to June 2010, says environmental manager Leah Jackson, or about 63 per cent more than it gathered in the previous year. “It’s exceeded our expectations. It’s working really well.”
St. Albert now diverts about 46 per cent of its trash from the landfill, Jackson says, up from 35 per cent from last year. Organics recycling, which starts next summer, should divert another 15 to 25 per cent.
Tonnage at the recycling depot has definitely dropped off, Jackson says, but still accounts for about a fifth of the city’s recyclables (close to 1,000 tonnes a year). The cardboard compactor there is still saving the city money by squeezing more junk into each delivery truck, but it might not be paying for itself anymore — the depot is getting about half the amount of cardboard it used to receive.
The city plans to bring in a fully automated trash collection system with organics recycling next June.
A new grant program in Edmonton should give solar power a big PR boost, says a local specialist.
The City of Edmonton announced a new solar-electric grant program Wednesday. The fund offers to pay Edmonton residents and business owners $3 for every watt of solar power they install on their buildings, up to a maximum of $9,000 for residents and $18,000 for businesses. The fund has just $200,000 available, split evenly between residential and business projects, and will be given out on a first-come basis.
Solar power is growing fast around the world, says Mark Brostrom, head of Edmonton’s office of the environment, and his city wanted to test the public’s interest in it. This is a pilot, he says, and the city would likely expand the program if people show enough interest.
Solar is in its infancy in Edmonton, says Rob Harlan of the Solar Energy Society of Alberta, with just 30 grid-connected systems in its borders. “It’s in its infancy, but it’s only going to grow.”
Fully utilized, this fund could add about 67 kilowatts of solar to the capital, preventing about 68 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year — about 13 cars-worth.
Leigh Bond of St. Albert’s Threshold Energies Corp. says he’s gotten about 10 calls about solar panels since the grant was announced. “There’s a wide appeal,” he says, and the grant should do much to promote renewable energy.
Solar power still costs about $8.50 a watt, Bond says, so it’s not cheap. A typical system will take about 25 years to pay for itself, compared to about 15 for a solar hot-water panel. “It’s more bragging rights than economics at the moment.”
St. Albert did not plan to include a solar fund in its next budget, Jackson said, although she recognized it’s a great idea. Residents interested in solar could always apply for an environmental initiatives grant; applications are being accepted until Oct. 6.
A typical three-kilowatt solar system costs about $24,000, Harlan says, but will meet almost half of a Canadian home’s electricity needs for a year. “It’s really fun to have a solar system on your roof and watch the [power] meter go backwards,” he says. “It’s a feeling of empowerment.”
The deadline for Edmonton’s solar grant applications is Sept. 30. All solar systems have to be installed between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31. For details, call 780-442-5311.
