Flagstaff Waste is preparing to close seven transfer sites across the region, moving towards regional sites, and greater use of the landfill.

Flagstaff Waste is a society owned and operated by every municipality with Flagstaff County, including the County, and Rosalind, the society owns and operates the Flagstaff Regional Landfill.

The society has a board that currently has elected officials from each owner municipality.

Flagstaff Waste is currently managed by Murray Hampshire, who handles the day-to-day operations of the landfill and waste management within the region, along with his staff. Flagstaff Waste also provides recycling opportunities, hoping to grow that portion of their operations over the next few years.

The board has approved a number of changes that are scheduled to take place in 2017 at the beginning of April; that includes the closure of seven transfer sites in the county.

“The Forestburg, Alliance, Daysland, and Hardisty transfer sites will remain open and become regional sites,” says David Dahl, Landfill/Diversions Operations Coordinator for Flagstaff Waste.

The main landfill will remain open as well, and each regional site will experience enhanced hours with more bins to handle increased traffic.

The changes were recommended after landfill visits were closely monitored for usage numbers over the past three years.

“It’s a matter of regional efficiency,” Dahl says. “The towns were spending money via their requisitions for door-to-door garbage collection and operating transfer sites. Collection costs haven’t changed much, but the cost of operating transfer sites within the county on a per-user basis has become quite expensive, upwards of $600 per customer in some instances.”

Waste Management has also significantly dropped rates for their bin rentals.

With a downturn in oilfield operations in the county, bin rentals numbers had taken a large tumble, and the cost for Flagstaff Waste to provide bin service escalated.

“But when there were reduced hours and higher fees introduced at some of the transfer sites, we saw a big surge in bin rentals,” Flagstaff Waste Manager Murray Hampshire says.

As bin rental numbers continue to grow, Hampshire says, the cost to provide the service becomes much more efficient, and the costs come down.

At present, Flagstaff Waste is also planning to offer financial incentives to new bin customers in 2017 to expand the service further.

In addition to other changes, Flagstaff Waste is starting a pilot recycling program in Sedgewick, and has provided Killam with a quote for this service, too, as both communities are looking at transfer site closure, and the cost of the program will be offset by the reduction in the Flagstaff Waste requisition.

“We think this is a great opportunity to expand recycling,” says Dahl.

Flagstaff’s recycling rate is currently estimated at around 34 per cent. “We know that less than 50 per cent of our population is doing it,” Dahl says.

They would like to see those figures improve, and they are excited about the opportunity to pilot a curb-side program.

“To be effective, it has to be easy for people to do.”