It’s that time of year again to tidy up the yard and garden, one would think. At the garbage dump of the city of Steinbach, however, you can hand in your bags with leaves, grass waste and other waste 365 days a year.
According to Eldon Wallman, Steinbach’s waste manager, the town will continue an eight-year tradition and will be returning compost bins to Woodlawn School and Stonybrook Middle School from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 8th. He says: “If you can’t make it there on Saturdays, we always have a compost container here at the landfill 365 days a year.” You are welcome to hand in all garden waste such as grass, leaves and small branches. They also take scraps from the kitchen like eggshells and coffee, including compostable coffee filters, which Wallman says is really good for the compost. However, he does not recommend eating meat, including fish or bones.
When it comes to dropping off your compostable items, Wallman asks you to empty the bags yourself when you get to the city landfill. If you are in one of the two school depots, the city staff will make sure that no plastic bags get into the compost bins. “They even help get it out of your trunk or truck. They take care of it for you. You don’t have to touch it. They are great people who work there. “
Wallman would like to point out the city’s new composting slogan: “Cut it up and leave it.” This is to encourage homeowners to mulch the grass while they are mowing. In fact, he goes as far as to say, “Put our composting people out of business and mulch your grass at home. It’s even better and so healthy for your weed. “Mulching is all about the blade,” says Wallman. “A lot of local companies sold these blades last year. “
The waste manager also mentions that the household hazardous waste area at the city landfill was also quite busy this spring. Residents are tidying up their sheds and basements, handing in old pesticide containers, disinfectants and bleach bottles. Wallman adds, including old medication, noting that “if you have someone who is diabetic, let’s take the sharp ones and needles” as well as fluorescent lightbulbs and old paint.
As for motivation, Wallman says: “The best thing about composting or dumping hazardous waste or even metal in Steinbach is that it’s free. Entering the landfill is free to drop off your compostable and recyclable materials. In fact, he says, “You can come from anywhere, absolutely anywhere, and we will take your things with us.”
Meanwhile, according to CAO Luc Lehaie in the RM in Hanover, the compost spring program starts this week and runs until June 18. All 5 municipalities have their day of the week to hand in compostable items. Starting with Mondays in New Bothwell, Tuesdays in Blumenort, Kleefeld on Wednesdays, Mitchell on Thursdays and Grunthal on Fridays.
According to Lehaie, the touring compost trailer will be escorted by Eldad Ranch staff and participants who are on hand to collect your bags. When you hand in paper bags with leaves and grass clippings, they are thrown straight into the trailer. However, all plastic bags will be opened and the contents removed. Lehaie ask residents not to leave compost bags when the site is unattended, as the bags will attract rodents, dogs, or cats, and the torn bags can make it very unsightly, which means extra work for staff.
Lehaie would also like to remind residents of urban centers that the Hanover Statute restricts the burning of leaves, “because smoke may pour onto a neighbor’s property, which is particularly difficult for people with asthma. So this is not the best way to get rid of leaves, dead grass, or branches. “
As soon as the compost trailer is full, the RM stores the material in his yard for public works and at the end of the season brings it to the Overton Compost facility in the RM in Ste Anne.
Like the town of Steinbach, Lehaie asks residents to only hand in grass, leaves and garden waste. However, currently they cannot accept kitchen waste such as vegetables.
LeHaye notes that if you stay at RM and forget what day of the week to drop off your compostable items, you can go to their website or check the LED signs in your community.
