A group of Rimbey residents are trying to ignite local interest in boosting recycling efforts.
Marion Slomp said Rimbey was once a leader in recycling initiatives but has fallen behind the times. While paper is being recycled, cardboard collected is burned instead of reused and glass is crushed and used to line the landfill.
“It’s just every bad for the environment. If you can recycle, then you can cut down on greenhouse gases and reuse what has been produced already. That’s why we feel very strongly for this.”
A proposed ethanol plant is seen by some as a part of the solution. Once it is up and running, organic material and plastics could be diverted. But glass, metal and batteries would have to be disposed of elsewhere.
Slomp said it could be years before the ethanol plant is completed and there still needs to be a place to take the items it can’t use.
“When the plant is built, we can go from there. We don’t know enough about that, whether it all can be used or whether the plant is even going to be a go.”
Slomp, who is spokeswoman for a group called the Rimbey United Church Board, said an Oct. 22 meeting is planned at the Rimbey Community Centre to discuss recycling and present information for residents. A representative for the Recycling Council of Alberta is expected to attend to discuss the state of recycling in Alberta and the role ethanol plants play.
“We’re still in the process of inviting people to that meeting like Alberta Environment hopefully (and) maybe someone from the ethanol plant that knows a little bit more.
“And then we just hope that people ask questions or we ask questions,” she said.
“What we want is information on that evening, because we don’t really know a lot about the ethanol plant and we don’t really know where to go with our recycled products.”
The cellulosic ethanol plant has been proposed by Calgary-based Aspen Bio-Energy Corp.
pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com