BONNYVILLE – Bonnyville residents have a new curbside recycling program, but one question keeps coming up: Why are we using blue bags instead of recycling carts?

The Town Council addressed that question, along with concerns about missed pickups and whether recyclables actually get recycled, at the October 13 meeting.

Blair Galis, Managing Director of Circular Materials for Alberta and the Yukon, joined council virtually to explain how the new program works and why Bonnyville ended up with bags rather than bins.

Why Bonnyville got bags instead of carts

Bonnyville’s biweekly curbside recycling program launched October 1 as part of Alberta’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) system.

Under EPR, companies that produce packaging and paper products must fund and manage their collection and recycling.

Galis acknowledged that Bonnyville had hoped to receive recycling carts, but explained that the decision depended on how the provincial collection system was organized.

Circular Materials divided Alberta into regional collection areas based on existing infrastructure, transportation routes, neighbouring communities and available service providers.

Bonnyville was grouped with other communities using bag-based collection.

Galis said neither system is necessarily cheaper. Cart collection typically uses automated trucks with one operator, while bag collection generally requires two workers but less expensive vehicles.

Both have advantages, but Galis highlighted several benefits of the bag system.

Residents can store recycling wherever it works best for their household, whether that’s inside, in a garage or outdoors.

Unlike a cart system, which generally limits collection to what fits inside the bin, the bag program also allows residents to place bundled cardboard alongside their bags.

And for households wondering how many bags they can put out, there’s good news.

“We do not have a certain number of bags that have to get put out at the curb,” Galis told council.

He said the program currently has no fixed bag limit, giving households flexibility when they generate more recycling during certain weeks.

What happens if your recycling isn’t picked up?

Councillor Neil Langridge raised concerns he’d heard from residents about missed collections.

Galis explained that Integrity, the collection contractor, is the first point of contact.

Residents should have their recycling at the curb by 7 a.m. on their scheduled collection day.

If a street or household is missed despite having its recycling ready on time, residents should contact Integrity directly.

According to Galis, the contractor must return the same day, if crews are still in the area, or the following day to collect missed materials.

If the issue isn’t resolved, residents can escalate it to Circular Materials.

Does everything actually get recycled?

Langridge also raised another familiar concern: Why bother recycling if everything ends up in the same place anyway?

Galis said the new provincial system is designed to provide greater accountability for what happens to collected materials.

Under Alberta’s EPR regulations, Circular Materials must track collected materials, identify contamination, and report what is ultimately processed and recycled.

Previously, recycling practices varied considerably between municipalities, and Galis acknowledged that some materials had ended up in landfills without consistent reporting.

The new system is intended to change that.

Bonnyville transports its recycling to a receiving facility in Cold Lake before it moves through the provincial processing system, where materials are sorted and prepared for recycling markets.

Circular Materials is developing major processing facilities in Edmonton and Calgary to support that work.

Galis explained that tracking what is collected is not the same as proving what has been recycled. The organization must account for contamination and what ultimately becomes usable recycled material.

He also acknowledged that finding markets for recyclable materials can be challenging, particularly when new materials are sometimes cheaper than recycled alternatives.

Can you recycle cardboard?

Yes, and residents don’t have to squeeze every box into a blue bag.

Councillor Yvonne Szydlik asked for clarification about cardboard collection.

Galis confirmed that cardboard and paperboard are accepted, including larger boxes that have been flattened and cut down to a manageable size.

He suggested a maximum size of about 90 centimetres by 60 centimetres for larger pieces so collection crews can handle them safely.

The program covers residential recycling, including eligible multi-family housing, but does not extend to industrial, commercial or institutional waste.

How will Bonnyville know if the program is working?

Councillor David Sharun asked whether the Town could eventually receive a report showing participation, contamination rates, and the program’s overall success.

Galis said Circular Materials will provide annual provincial reporting and conduct audits to identify contamination issues.

However, because a regional system now manages recycling, Bonnyville may not receive a detailed, community-specific report card.

He said the organization expects to assess household participation and collection volumes over time.

Galis also cautioned that contamination is common when communities first introduce curbside recycling, as residents learn which materials belong in their bags.

Circular Materials launched 120 curbside programs across Alberta on October 1, including 104 entirely new ones.

For now, the focus is on running collection schedules smoothly, helping residents understand what can be recycled, and improving the system as it develops.

For Bonnyville households, the takeaway is simple: Put your recycling out by 7 a.m. on collection day, keep cardboard manageable and contact the collection contractor if your pickup is missed.