Fort Saskatchewan's organic material diversion program has saved quite a lot of material from going to landfills.
Before the program was implemented five years ago, the city noticed that 82 per cent of the material they would collect from curbs was being sent to the landfill.
The city conducted a waste audit in 2017 and found that 60 per cent of that waste could be diverted away to either a recycling facility or an organics processing facility.
"Here in the waste world, we like to stress that a lot of your garbage materials actually have value if managed properly," said Sadie Miller, waste program supervisor with the city. "For example, your food scraps should be used to produce nutrient-rich compost and reapplied to fields to grow more food, rather than simply being landfilled."
"These actions help us preserve more natural areas in the long term."
Since implementing their organic materials diversion program, the city now diverts 50 per cent of its waste from the landfill.
"Nearby communities which have had this program for a decade or more are seeing similar progress," added Miller. "So I think it's fair to say that Fort Saskatchewan residents are pretty exceptional."
The city's new Transfer and Eco Station is hosting its grand opening on Thursday (June 22), starting at 10 a.m.