BONNYVILLE - The Town of Bonnyville is reminding residents to only drop off accepted recyclables at the municipality’s recycling compound.
According to Brad Trimble, the general manager of operations for the Town of Bonnyville, people dropping off unaccepted items at the facility has become an issue.
“Public Works staff spend a significant amount of time cleaning the compound due to non-designated items being discarded at the property,” Trimble told Lakeland This Week. “Unauthorized material is left almost daily.”
Some of the items that are being improperly discarded at the recycling compound include appliances, paint, furniture, household hazardous waste, household garbage, mattresses, Styrofoam, metal, yard waste, batteries, and even cat litter.
All these items are accepted at the Town of Bonnyville landfill.
“Residents can dispose of bagged grass, clean burnable wood, household hazardous waste, paint at the landfill for no charge, and household batteries are also accepted at the public works office and landfill at no charge,” he explained.
Accepted products at the Recycling Compound, which is located at 5615 54 Ave and is currently open 24/7, according to Trimble, include cardboard, paper, glass, tin cans, acceptable plastic, along with small electronics.
Landfill hours are Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. The landfill is closed on statuary holidays.
When asked what the Town of Bonnyville is doing to discourage the discarding of unaccepted items at the recycling compound, Trimble explained that in the short term, officials are educating the public on best practices and how recycling currently works.
Moving forward, the Town is participating in the provincial Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program.
“This program will transition residential recycling within Town to curbside collection in 2026 at no cost to the taxpayer,” Trimble explained. “Council is excited to improve the quality of life for residents as this will fundamentally improve the recycling experience for residents.”
Trimble provided some tips about how to properly sort through items that are being dropped off for recycling.
“Cardboard should be flattened, plastic, tin and glass should be rinsed with labels removed, and electronics placed into the provided bins,” he said.
