Edmonton Journal has reported:

Fort McMurray residents have reported missing new recycling carts and uncollected old bins since Alberta’s new provincially mandated program began Oct. 1. The transition shifted responsibility for residential recycling from municipalities to producers of packaging and paper products, and complaints in the northern Alberta community include delayed deliveries and uncertainty about how to arrange collection of former municipal carts.

Chelsea Wood, who lives in the Thickwood neighbourhood, said she still had not received a new cart after repeated calls for assistance. “Everyone on my street got one except for me,” Wood said. She contacted the municipality’s Pulse call line and said she was repeatedly told someone would investigate.

Wood said the problem appeared to relate to how carts were delivered to townhouse residents. She was later told that the cart assigned to her had been delivered to a neighbouring home. “Every time we call, they keep saying that they fixed it or they’re going to fix it. Nothing happens,” she said.

Wood said officials suggested that she retrieve the cart herself and ask the neighbour to contact the service provider for a replacement. Other residents have also posted online about old municipal recycling carts that remained uncollected after the switch. Some households reported delays in receiving the new blue carts required by the updated system.

The province’s Extended Producer Responsibility framework transfers responsibility for residential recycling programs from municipalities to producers of packaging and paper products. Circular Materials, a not-for-profit producer-responsibility organization, took over management of packaging and paper recycling programs in participating Alberta communities on Oct. 1.

Residents are receiving new blue recycling carts supplied through Circular Materials. Collective Waste Solutions Inc. is servicing the carts, with collection in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo starting the week of Oct. 5. The change followed an 18-month bridging agreement under which the municipality continued curbside recycling collection through Sept. 30. The second phase of the EPR transition took effect the following day.

Circular Materials says producers, including companies that supply packaging and paper products to consumers, fully fund the EPR system. The organization says municipalities and taxpayers will no longer pay directly for recycling services under the arrangement. It says the program aims to improve recycling rates and efficiency, while providing more consistent service levels across Alberta.

The transition also changes recycling at Alberta depots. Residents can now put accepted materials into one container under a single-stream system, rather than sorting recyclables by type.

Municipal officials said the transition required the removal of thousands of municipally owned carts that had been assigned to specific residences. The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo told Postmedia that nearly 38,000 light and dark blue recycling bins are being stored at the regional landfill while it explores options to recover some of their value.

The municipality said it collected carts between Sept. 22 and Oct. 6. Most were removed during that period, but “some carts may still require collection,” it said. Residents whose old carts have not been collected can contact Pulse to arrange pickup or take them to the public drop-off area at the regional landfill at no charge.

Some residents questioned why they could not keep their old carts, given that the bins could be reused. The municipality said the carts belong to the municipality and were assigned to particular residences. “Following the transition to the new recycling program, the municipality collected the carts to ensure they are properly managed and recover some costs,” it said in a statement.

The municipality said it is reviewing the financial impacts of the transition. Any resulting budget implications will be reported to council in a future update.