Al4- The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, June 7, 2000

BAD BAGS: Kyle Ross, whose Loen Ave. family
have been faithfully reycling their compostable yard
waste, was among the local peaple who quickly
found out the city's biodegradable bags break
down too quickly. Homeowners who left the bags
on the curb for more than a few days have found
the bags no longer have a bottom. The city has de-
cided to discontinue their use.

@ DOWN
LEASE
FOR JUST

0 DOWN
LEASE
POR JUST

26%

James  Radelet

RADELET & COMPANY Borcistrs & Solicitor

Tox Law ® Trusts * Corporate & Commercial
1330 - 1075 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, B.C. VéE 3C9

@MedicAlert
ere Oe

Composting
effort hits

For mora information |

DESIST | phone: 604-689-0878 Fox: 604-489-1386

an irritating
deterioration

THE CITY’s experimental composting program is elimi-
nating its free biodegradable bags.

The starch-based bags were deteriorating too quickly,
said city special projects director Stew Christensen. |

“They worked too well,” he said. “They just fall apart
if they sit for more than a few days when it’s warm.”

The compostable bags were chosen so city crews
could simply throw them in the composting area at the
dump.

Now, Christensen said, the city will ask compost pro-
gram users to instead buy their own clear plastic garbage
bags.

Crews will cut each bag open and empty the contents
into the truck, he said.

The failure of the biodegradable bags came as a sur-
prise, Christensen said, because the city tested them be-
fore buying several thousand.

Bags were filled with grass clippings and were left to
sit oulside in the elements for more than three weeks.

But Christensen noted that was in March.

“It wasn’t as warm as it is now,” he said.

While some residents have eagerly embraced the
compost program, only a small fraction of homes are
making use of it.

Christensen estimated 10 per cent of homes are leav-
ing the composting bags out so far for pickup.

Still, for this early in the program, he said it’s not bad
and he’s hopeful that the number of users will rise to as
high as 50 per cent later in the summer.

The program began May 1, when the regular garbage
pickup schedule was compressed from five days to four
to open up Mondays for compost pickup.

At the same time, the city began enforcing its two-
container pick up limit from each residence on garbage
pick up days.

For those who wish to leave out more containers, a
sticker to be placed on extra containers is required. Each
sticker costs $1.

Thank you Terrace

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A\

THE CITY OF
TERRACE

Starting June 12th the City of Terrace will be making the following
improvements to the composting program.

The biodegradable compost bags supplied by the City of Terrace have proven to be
unacceptable. For this reason the City will start picking up compost placed at the curbside
in clear plastic bags. These clear bags may be purchased at several local stores. It is
important to note that ONLY COMPOST IN CLEAR BAGS WILL BE PICKED UP, as
the refuse collectors need to ascertain whether or not the material is acceptable.

PLEASE NOTE:

@ There is no bag limit on compost.
@ The old biodegradable bags will continue to be picked up.
® Acceptable compost is: grass clippings, leaves and garden trimmings.

lf you have any questions, or require further information, please call Stewart Christensen,
City Hall @ 638-4707.

Please refer to your garbage calendar for the date of compost pick up in your area.
We thank you for your continued support of the composting program.

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