With Calgary’s blue cart system now fully in place the city is now looking at putting a black cart beside it.
The black cart would hold Calgarians’ garbage and allow the city to use automated pickup on both recycling and garbage.
“Picture the trucks we use for blue cart service but instead of a blue cart picture a black one, and instead of it holding recyclables it holds garbage,” said Dave Griffiths the director of Waste and Recycling Services.
According to Griffiths the automated system is being brought in mainly for safety.
Ald. Fox-Mellway said Waste and Recycling Services has the highest workman compensation claims in the entire city, so this should help keep those workers safe.
With the implementation of automated garbage pickup the amount of labour used for garbage pickup should be reduced.
“We were told the amount of work should drop from 181 (employees) to 166 even with the recycling initiative, so I’m hoping after that happens we can lower the eight dollars people are paying,” said Ald. Ric McIver.
McIver wants the savings to be passed onto Calgarians but isn’t sure if that is going to happen.
“I am hoping this will allow us to lower the eight dollars or something of that nature but they didn’t seem to keen on that,” said McIver.
“There are absolutely chances here to save us labour costs in the long term,” said Griffiths.
