As reported on LethbridgeNewsNow.com, it would be a first in the province: BILD (Building Industry and Land Development Association) Lethbridge is in the midst of creating a recycling standard for all member builders in the city.

When completed, likely in the spring of 2020, the program would help reduce the construction and demolition materials going to the landfill.

Right now, there is no association-wide standard of waste diversion or recycling for wood, drywall and paper/cardboard, according to Executive Officer Bridget Mearns.

Mearns presented the idea to city council Monday, Oct. 7. She also asked that council approve the postponement of surcharges on construction and demolition materials until March 1, 2020.

“Starting Oct. 1…there were surcharges that were going to be on loads of waste that come in, with over 25 per cent recyclable materials in it, will be – a surcharge will apply,” Mearns explained. “So, we’ve asked for an extension of that, so we have time to put in place, our subdivision recycling waste depot.”

That extension will allow the association to get their protocols and bins in order, to get people to haul the material, educational components developed to help train members.

“Right now, every builder is responsible for how they handle their construction and demolition waste. So, some will choose to recycle and have bins on site. But that’s an individual site and it creates really space constraints and access restraints.”

What BILD is proposing, is to put up a recycling depot for an entire subdivision for all the builders to use. It will have three bins – for drywall, cardboard and for wood, along with one for waste.

“It’s an effort of the association and all of its members to come together to find a solution to dealing with the amount of …waste that we have and being able to capture the recycling components.”

The depots will likely be located on the outskirts of various building phases, and then move, as the subdivisions are completed. There may also be opportunities for more than one subdivision to share a depot, depending on their proximity to one another.