For many years, Alberta and Manitoba municipalities have provided sites at municipal transfer stations and landfills for farmers to drop off empty, triple-rinsed, <23 L ag containers for collection and recycling by Cleanfarms.
Between 2022 and December 31, 2024, this responsibility will transition from municipalities to local ag-retailers, in a gradual and phased process that will begin with sites that have recently received least materials, to those that have received the most.
Cleanfarms will be in touch with municipal sites to let you know long before it’s time for you to start thinking about discontinuing collections and we’ll work with you to facilitate the process. The planned schedule is as follows:
- Sites that have recently received no <23L ag jugs discontinued collection in May, 2022
- Sites that have received up to 5,000 lb/year of <23L ag jugs discontinued collection as of December 31, 2022
- Sites that have received 5,001 to 20,000 lb/year of 23L ag jugs discontinue collection as of December 31 2023
- Sites that have received 20,001 lb/year+ of 23L ag jugs discontinue collection as of December 31 2024.
Container Collection Site Transition Dates
We understand that some sites will have containers past your final collection; if that happens, please let us know and the Cleanfarms team will look after them.
How this will work for municipalities:
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- Cleanfarms will contact each site with estimated closure date
- Receive rolls of collection bags & provide bag to grower/ ratepayer as applicable
- Growers prepare & return containers
- Municipalities to contact Cleanfarms for pickup
Cleanfarms support
Cleanfarms is providing signage for all sites indicating when each site will close. Sites were provided signs denoting their planned closure date. If you have not received yours, please email info@cleanfarms.ca so we can get one to you.
We’re taking other steps to communicate the transition widely so there are no surprises for farmers, including:
- advertising in local newspapers and radio (where available)
- providing updates at cleanfarms.ca
- offering newsletter/social media copy for municipal use re: the transition (see below)
- providing info for farmers via the promotion & education kit that’s available at ag retailers
- posting updates on social media
- responding to enquiries to our email and phone hotline
Questions?
You may have questions. Please email Cleanfarms Operations Analyst Cori Crawford.
Thank you for your contribution to the Cleanfarms program!
Tools & Resources
Cleanfarms has tools and resources to help you communicate these changes with residents.
Information to share with your staff includes: