Dreaming of Waste-Less Holidays

Edmontonians have been busy using social media to share ideas on how they reduce the amount of waste they produce during the holidays.

This social media conversation was sparked by a waste-less holidays contest organized by the City of Edmonton. Residents were invited to participate by sharing creative, useful and fun tips though the City’s Twitter account, Facebook page and Transforming Edmonton blog.

The contest got Edmontonians talking about simple ways they can embrace the holidays while being conscious of the waste produced.

Here are some of the ideas we’ve heard on how to reduce holiday waste:
Rethink the way you package your presents: consider using a scarf, festive flyers or cookie tins. Reuse wrapping materials and decorations.
Give waste-friendly gifts such as a shared experience or homemade baking; donate your skills and time to a charity.
Avoid food waste: plan your food and donate unopened treats to the food bank.
After the holidays make sure you recycle boxes, paper (including all non-foil gift wrap), plastic and glass bottles and jars, and cans and aluminum trays.

During the holidays, Edmonton’s waste volumes double. The City encourages residents to reduce, reuse and recycle to minimize the amount of waste.

Submission deadline has been extended until midnight MDT on Thursday, December 19th, 2013.

Check out the contest and what your fellow Edmontonians are doing to reduce their holiday waste by visitingedmonton.ca/wastelessholidays.

Holiday Waste Collection

Due to the holidays the City of Edmonton has made the following changes to its waste collection schedule. If your collection falls on Wednesday, December 25, 2013, your waste will be collected on Monday, December 23, 2013.

If your collection falls on Wednesday, January 1, 2014, your waste will be collected on Monday, December 30, 2013 instead.

If your collection day is Tuesday, Thursday or Friday, there will be no change over the holidays. (Collectors will be working on Boxing Day, December 26, 2013.)

Please remember that for your collector’s safety and your own, it is important to clear snow from your collection area and spread sand on icy surfaces. Place garbage and recycling bags on level ground as close to the street or alley as possible, not on top of windrows or snow piles. 

The City thanks residents for helping make our collectors’ job safer, especially during the holiday and winter season.

For more information about waste collection visit edmonton.ca/wastecollection or call 311.

Hybrid Trucks...Part 1

Did you know that the City of Edmonton currently has 7 hybrids in its fleet of vehicles for collecting waste? Two of these trucks were purchased in 2012, and five more were added in 2013 to replace older vehicles. All of the hybrids are currently in active use.




Remember those fun, art-wrapped trucks we featured in Kennedale's new look last month? The two red ones are both hybrids.

The trucks run on diesel, like the other vehicles, but are fitted with a special Engine Stop-Start hybrid system that turns off the engine while the vehicle is immobile. This reduces idling time in vehicles, like collections trucks, that make frequent stops. The engine restarts when the compactor is engaged or when the accelerator is pressed. The transmission remains engaged so there is no lag when starting again. Hydraulic energy is also harvested from braking. Click here to watch a video showing the system in action.

The hybrid system reduces exhaust emissions of SO₂, NO_x, and particulates by 20%, compared to a conventional system. According to the manufacturer, fuel consumption can also be reduced by 15 to 20%. The City of Edmonton plans to conduct an efficiency review of the seven vehicles in early 2014 to find out what kind of numbers we are seeing for our particular usage patterns. They will use that data to make future decisions concerning our waste collections fleet.

We're certainly looking forward to hearing those results, and we'll be sure to share some findings with you in Hybrid Trucks...Part 2.

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