THE EDSON & DISTRICT RECYCLING SOCIETY

Community Residential drop off Recycling Program

! Population served by the program is approximately 11,000 combined Town and County. (Town approx. 8,000)

! Located on highway 16, 190 km west of Edmonton

! On line for recycling 2100 metric tonnes in 2015

! Average of 300 vehicles per day

! Edson and District Recycling Society was formed in 1991

! Main depot constructed in late 1994. Started with collection of one product, newsprint. Changes to the program were made as the list of materials collected expanded.

! Site is owned by the town of Edson but managed /operated by the Edson and District Recycling Society (EDRS)

Membership on the Society Board is as follows: o  one (1) voting member appointed from the Town of Edson

Council o  one (1) nonvoting member appointed from the Town of Edson

Administration o  one (1) voting member appointed from the Yellowhead County

Council o  one (1) nonvoting member appointed from the Yellowhead

County Administration. o  four (4) voting members at large appointed by the Board, at

least one from each of the County and the Town of Edson. o  one (1) voting member from the Edson and District Chamber of

Commerce.

The mandate of EDRS is: • To provide education on reusing, recycling and the wise use of our environment. • To provide the people and business community of Edson and district with the opportunity to recycle. • To provide public input into municipal and provincial waste management. Guiding philosophies of the EDRS : • A healthy, fully functioning environment is essential to our social and economic well-being. • The rate of waste production must not be greater than the rate that our world can re-use/recycle it. • Every individual in our community should have the opportunity and the responsibility to minimize their waste production. • Community actions taken to reduce wastes must be sustainable, or lead to more sustainable actions. • The ongoing partnerships between EDRS and the municipalities of Yellowhead County and Town of Edson recognize the strong responsibility that municipalities have to promote effective waste reduction and recycling programs in our region.

OPERATIONS ! Depot open to public

24 - 7. Staffed Monday to Saturday from 9 am. to 5 pm.

! Town implemented a residential 2 bag limit in 1997. This was followed with a materials ban on cardboard, grass clippings and recyclables.

Rule#1:

KNOW WHO / WHAT / WHY YOU ARE –  Development of Mandates and philosophies –  Walk the talk –  5 Five Year Plans, set goals develop a road map.

Rule #2

YOU ARE NOT ALONE –  Borrow from others –  RCA, SWRC –  Alberta Environment –  Why reinvent the wheel?

Rule #3: Keep it simple, build on you successes

Rule #4: Embrace Change !   There are no roadblocks, only challenges !   Think outside of the box !   Change is inevitable !   Be open to new ideas

Rule #5:

–  Foster Community Ownership and buy in Involve local government, industry, community groups, schools , general public etc. Celebrate your successes , use social marketing tools

Environment Festivals

Work Programs

Educational Tours

School Presentations

Community Classes

Annual Bike or Walk to School/Work Competition

Rule #6: !   Think regionally

Rule #7:

!  Expect the Unexpected !  Don’t take yourself too Seriously!!