Garbage, garbage everywhere!
Tips on dealing with trash and big items
After the bike discussion wrapped up at the April Coffee with Cops, there was plenty of input from community members on another issue: garbage! Many noted this spring brought illegal dumping of garbage and discarded items to the area. Others mentioned that people had gone through their garbage and scattered it all over the ground.
Edmonton Police said it was a good idea to never leave the garbage out overnight and only take it out to the alley on waste management days. Also, avoid putting things out in your alley for free or bagging bottles on your property as they encourage unwanted traffic.
As for illegal dumping, City of Edmonton bylaw liaison Dawn Freeman pointed out that, unfortunately, the garbage is now the property owner’s problem. You can call 311 to report an incident, but unless you witnessed it and have details like the offender’s license plate number, little can be done.
After a long winter, snow melts away and all the garbage is revealed. Pitch in to keep our neighbourhood clean and safe by picking up trash. You can even request litter kits from Capital City Clean Up. If you live in Alberta Avenue, contact the community league to pick up a kit. If you live in Eastwood, join neighbours on Sunday, May 25 from 1-4 pm at the hall (11803 86 St.) to clean up the park and surrounding area
Got an issue with your garbage cart? You can submit a repair request online or submit a report for a lost or stolen cart. Is your garbage cart too small or too big? You can upsize from the 120L to the 240L cart, or downsize. You get one free cart exchange. After that, you’ll be charged a $18.50 admin fee.
Did you bag those piles of leaves? Trim your bushes? Pull all heaps of weeds? Did you know that the city runs two yard waste collection days between April 21 and June 16? Check the WasteWise app or the city website to find the dates for your neighbourhood. You can even sign up for reminders!
Have you seen a yard piling up with garbage bags? Maybe the resident is elderly, has a disability or is temporarily challenged and cannot get their garbage to the alley for pick up. You could offer to help or let them know about a free city program called Assisted Waste Collection, where staff can collect or help set out waste or recycling from outside the front or back door to the curb or lane. You complete an online form and get a health care provider to sign a form. Apartment and condo residents can also apply.
People often have big bulky items such as couches, chairs, mattresses, and appliances that can’t be put out for regular garbage collection. The city provides numerous Big Bin event weekends where you can bring those items for disposal free of charge from 9 am to 5 pm. Computers and electronics will be accepted for recycling. Give a helping hand to a neighbour if you can — remember, many people do not have the strength or transportation to move big items.
Elmwood Park Big Bin for members
Saturday, May 24, 11 am to 2 pm
Eastwood Clean Up
Sunday, May 25, 1-4 pm
City Big Bin Events
May 17-18 All 4 Eco Stations
May 24-25 Northlands
June 28-29 All 4 Eco Stations
Aug 16-17 All 4 Eco Stations
Sept 20-21 Commonwealth
Sept 27-28 All 4 Eco Stations
 | A guest post by
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 | A guest post by
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Lots of great tips in this article about how to deal with litter. But also some troubling comments by Edmonton Police, assuming that people with low incomes are the reason for litter in our neighbourhoods. Telling people to "avoid putting things out in your alley for free or bagging bottles on your property as they encourage unwanted traffic" is promoting stereotypes and fear. People walking down alleys aren't unwanted intruders, they're our neighbours. Bagging up bottles so our neighbours can easily find the returnable recyclables means people don't need to sift through recycling materials to pull out what is useful. Why would we not support making it easier on people to find what is useable?
We might feel frustrated at times at having to pick up litter. But for most of us, that's a very minor inconvenience. Thirty years ago, I survived poverty by going through people's garbage and pulling out food and other useful items. It's sad that we're more concerned about having to occasionally clean up, than that we live in a society where some people have to pick garbage to survive, and that there's so much waste and disposability -- of goods and people.