Less garbage going to dumps, committee hears

Calgary is making progress on its goal of sending less garbage to landfills, a council committee was told on Wednesday.

The city's target is to cut the amount of waste in its dumps by 80 per cent by 2020.

Members of the utilities and environment committee heard that that the city's curbside recycling program has drastically cut the amount of garbage coming out of residential neighbourhoods.

70,000 tonnes per year is being recycled instead of hauled to landfills, aldermen were told.

However, residential garbage only represents about a third of what goes to the dump, officials said. Half of the city's garbage comes from universities, hospitals, malls and manufacturers.

But those sectors have bought into the city's goal and are cutting waste significantly, mostly by recycling, said Dave Griffiths, the city's director of waste and recycling services.

"To get to the 80-20 goal, the corporate-private sector is critical to our achieving that goal -- in many ways as first championing, and championing the cause that they recognize and that they are increasingly taking on," he said.

Plans for recycling organic materials are now under development, he added.

Ald. Druh Farrell said the numbers show there is wide acceptance of the city's reduction targets. She added that the city will continue to work with the private sector and major public employers.

"It should be cheaper to recycle than it is to throw out, and that's what we're learning. When we've raised our tipping fees for those who aren't recycling, it's helped provide that incentive to recycle. So we're getting better," she said.

The next progress report will be presented in 2013.