Organics collection in the City of Port Alberni is being postponed until September 2021.
City staff and Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District staff have been developing a three-stream (recycling, organics and garbage) collection system for the city, which was originally expected to roll out in June 2021.
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But Jenny Brunn, the ACRD’s general manager of community services, told the ACRD board on Wednesday, April 14 that the team has had to make a “difficult decision” in delaying the start of the rollout due to a “challenging year.”
The original June 2021 start was a “tentative” date, said Brunn.
“We knew that could get pushed, and we don’t want to set expectations that we can’t meet,” she said.
The three-stream collection service is now expected to start on Sept. 13, which will give the working group plenty of time to plan implementation and engage and communicate with residents.
In the meantime, the ACRD has already ordered collection carts, which will need to be stored for about five months before the new program starts. On April 14, the ACRD board agreed to sign a lease agreement with the Port Alberni Port Authority to rent their waterfront terminal on Harbour Road.
This will allow the carts to be stored at a secure location, while also being visible to the public visiting the waterfront.
“It’s also a high-visibility area, so we’re going to use that opportunity to promote the program,” said Brunn. “Because you’re going to be able to see the bins sitting there on the waterfront.”
The carts will be delivered to residential properties starting in August 2021.
For more information on the new organics collection program, visit www.letsconnectacrd.ca.
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