As most Sundre and surrounding area residents are by now no doubt well aware, the municipal council has decided to close the recycling centre on Dec. 31.
Mayor Terry Leslie and chief administrative officer Linda Nelson both said during interviews that the decision stemmed largely from ongoing misuse and straight-up abuse at the facility that has resulted in refuse contaminating recycling materials that end up going to the landfill.
“Recycling is such a sustainable practice for the environment,” said Nelson. “Trying to keep the product out of the landfill is the main goal. But unfortunately, if it is not done correctly, it kind of defeats the purpose.”
Sadly, this situation is nothing new.
When I first moved to town in 2015, the recycling centre was near the Sundre Pioneer Museum before council decided to relocate the facility to the southeast near the soccer fields.
The problem of some people disposing of items such as couches, mattresses, used oil and old televisions or dated electronics — which for the record are supposed to go to the transfer station — has been a pervasive one.
But despite previous discussions dating back to the former council about the possibility of fencing off the site, relocating to yet a new area, or even setting up video surveillance cameras to mitigate misuse, no concrete action ever really seemed to materialized.
Now, the plug is basically being pulled. And without a concrete, predetermined Plan B lined up, the closure could potentially create unintended consequences. Improperly disposed waste might well end up littering ditches instead.
The mayor said the municipality has submitted correspondence to the Mountain View Regional Waste Management Commission about the possibility of making additional hours available at the transfer station east of Sundre, which as of now is only open on Fridays and Saturdays.
While there is certainly a valid argument to be made that a monitored site that handles waste as well as recyclable materials with staff on hand to answer questions is an alternative option worth further looking into, no course of action is actually yet confirmed.
And with the already cash-strapped waste commission currently exploring options to improve long-term sustainability in the face of financial woes, increasing hours at the transfer station — and by extension operating costs — might not even be feasible.
So closing Sundre's recycling centre without first determining a suitable substitute seems premature.
Because, while the mess at the recycling centre is unquestionably a problem, at least it was largely isolated to that site.
Now, where those people who abused the centre will dispose of their waste is anyone’s guess.
