Property Management

June 28, 2023 Published by North Alberta Chapter - By Vahid Rashidi

Apartment and Condo Waste Changes

Answering the six biggest questions about changes to Edmonton’s apartment and condo collection.

Answering the six biggest questions about changes to Edmonton’s apartment and condo collection.

Apartment and condo waste collection is changing. Over the next four years, the City of Edmonton will work with apartments, condos and some row houses to introduce food scraps and recycling collection. Collection containers for all three streams of waste must be “co-located,” or located near each other and equally accessible.

The first phase of this rollout will begin in southeast Edmonton. If you manage a building in this area of the city, account holders will receive information letters in late 2023 or early 2024—before your new bins are delivered—as well as some resources to help residents adjust to the change.

If your property is located in another part of the city, visit edmonton.ca/ApartmentandCondoCollection to find out when you can expect to see this change.

We sat down with Vahid Rashidi, Program Director, Communal Waste Transformation at the City of Edmonton, to help answer some of the most common questions we’ve been hearing from property managers.

Why are apartment and condo residents being asked to sort their food scraps and recycling?

Rashidi: “In 2021, the City rolled out three-stream collection for over 250,000 households receiving curb-side collection. Giving residents the ability to sort into three-streams has helped reduce the amount of food scraps ending up in our landfill. Providing three-stream access to the nearly 170,000 households in apartments and condos is another necessary and major step forward to further reducing waste and emissions.”

Why do bins and carts for all three streams need to be in the same location?

Rashidi: “Ensuring that all three types of waste containers are accessible in the same location is a decision that helps both residents and our waste staff. Ensuring residents can easily access recycling, garbage and food scraps containers eliminates a major barrier to sorting, and will make collection for waste staff more efficient.”

My property doesn’t have room for three bins. Can I get an exemption?

Rashidi: “The recently passed Waste Services Bylaw requires that food scraps, recycling and garbage be collected from all properties. The City is currently assessing sites to develop a plan to fit equally convenient food scraps, recycling and garbage containers at each disposal location. The plan will be shared with the property managers who will be able to request a review of the recommendation.

We understand there’s no one-size-fits-all approach and we will provide different sizes and styles of collection containers. In some cases, we will also adjust collection frequency. We are confident that by working with property managers to address the issues unique to their property, we can find solutions that make garbage, food scraps and recycling disposal possible at all multi-unit properties in Edmonton.

Are we losing capacity for garbage service?

Rashidi: “Each unit will still have a similar amount of space for their waste—the difference is that waste will be divided into three different containers. To help residents as they adapt to sorting their waste, we are developing an excess waste program for exceptional circumstances.”

Am I responsible for educating residents?

Rashidi: “We’ve worked closely with property managers to prepare for this rollout, and understand the challenging work you do on a daily basis and that the extra work we’re asking you to do may seem intimidating. The City has taken the lead by creating educational materials and tools, as well as planning marketing campaigns and in-person outreach to communicate with residents.

However, property managers are in a unique position in that you have a direct line of communication with your property’s residents. As such, you will be asked to use the tools provided by the City to help build awareness before the program begins and as new tenants move in. These tools are also available at edmonton.ca/ApartmentandCondoCollection.

You can also help by providing site access to City staff to visit residents; informing the City if additional visits are needed; displaying posters or distributing information handouts provided by the City; answering resident questions about the program or referring them to edmonton.ca/Waste; and, ensuring that waste disposal locations are clean and clear of any obstacles.”

What resources are available to help me to prepare?

Rashidi: “Educational tools, videos, a rollout timeline map and information for residents, property managers and developers are all available on our website, edmonton.ca/ApartmentandCondoCollection, and will be updated as the roll-out continues.”

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Vahid Rashidi - Program Director, Communal Waste Transformation 
Waste Services, City of Edmonton