The Town has been informed by its waste collection contractor that curbside recycling collection will be suspended in Innisfail as of Monday, March 30.

The contractor, in its correspondence with the Town, noted that the temporary disruption in service is being implemented as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of its staff in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Solid waste collection (black cart) and organic waste collection (green cart) will continue as scheduled.

Residents will NOT be charged recycling fees during this period of inactivity. Please note, however, that utility bills received in April will reflect fees incurred prior to the disruption.

In addressing the matter in the interim, residents are encouraged to take any of the following actions as their circumstances allow:

1. Residents may ‘stockpile’ their recyclable materials and retain them for disposal once the collection service resumes. At present, there is no indication of when this might be, although the Town will communicate updates as they become available.

2. Recognizing that Option 1 may not be feasible for some (due to excessive volume, inadequate storage space and/or other reasons), residents may instead include recyclable materials in their black waste carts for the time being. Please note, however, that separation of waste and recycling in this instance will not occur, and all of the cart’s contents will be disposed of at the landfill.

Residents with concerns about volume due to combining recycling and waste are encouraged to utilize their organics (green) cart where possible. For a list of accepted items, visit www.innisfail.ca/solidwaste.

Residents are thanked for their patience and understanding in the matter — and for helping prevent the spread of COVID-19.

For updates and information, visit www.innisfail.ca/covid19.