Sort'nGo – Port Alberni

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Please Note: This page is no longer being regularly updated. All information will remain as resources for residents seeking Sort’nGo tips and educational materials, including how/what to sort into organics, recycling & garbage carts.


Questions?

Phone the Sort’nGo hotline: 250-736-7678

Or email: sortngo@acrd.bc.ca


About Sort’nGo - Port Alberni

On September 13, 2021 the new Sort’nGo roadside waste collection service was launched in Port Alberni, featuring organics (food/yard waste), recycling and garbage collection by new automated trucks. Since then, residents in the City of Port Alberni have become waste reduction heroes as we continue to work together in the community to decrease the amount of waste going to landfill and transform it into nutrient-rich compost instead.

In 2020, the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD) received a six million dollar grant to fund the introduction of organics collection in the City of Port Alberni, and the west coast of Tofino, Ucluelet and some surrounding communities.

Funding to support waste management upgrades, including the ACRD’s Regional Organics Implementation Project, is eligible through the Canada Community-Building Fund (formerly known as the Federal Gas Tax Fund).


Thank you to everyone for continuing to work hard at sorting items for roadside collection and helping to make the Sort’nGo efforts such a significant success. We hope you continue to use this page as a resource.


SORT'NGO PORT ALBERNI – AT A GLANCE:


Please Note: This page is no longer being regularly updated. All information will remain as resources for residents seeking Sort’nGo tips and educational materials, including how/what to sort into organics, recycling & garbage carts.


Questions?

Phone the Sort’nGo hotline: 250-736-7678

Or email: sortngo@acrd.bc.ca


About Sort’nGo - Port Alberni

On September 13, 2021 the new Sort’nGo roadside waste collection service was launched in Port Alberni, featuring organics (food/yard waste), recycling and garbage collection by new automated trucks. Since then, residents in the City of Port Alberni have become waste reduction heroes as we continue to work together in the community to decrease the amount of waste going to landfill and transform it into nutrient-rich compost instead.

In 2020, the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD) received a six million dollar grant to fund the introduction of organics collection in the City of Port Alberni, and the west coast of Tofino, Ucluelet and some surrounding communities.

Funding to support waste management upgrades, including the ACRD’s Regional Organics Implementation Project, is eligible through the Canada Community-Building Fund (formerly known as the Federal Gas Tax Fund).


Thank you to everyone for continuing to work hard at sorting items for roadside collection and helping to make the Sort’nGo efforts such a significant success. We hope you continue to use this page as a resource.


SORT'NGO PORT ALBERNI – AT A GLANCE:

  • Sort’nGo Tips for Sorting

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    We're gearing up for the first week of our new organics collection service in Port Alberni starting Sept 13th, 2021–with some updates to recycling and waste!

    Here are a few tips to keep in mind when sorting/placing waste in the new carts:

    Recycling:

    • All items must be clean and loose inside the cart. Do not bag or nest items in the cart - place them inside the cart individually.
    • Excess material placed outside the cart will not be collected - please ensure that the cart is closed and there is no overflow.
    • Cardboard should be broken down so it doesn't jam the hopper inside the trucks and large pieces should be placed vertically in the cart.
    • Items such as hazardous materials, plastic bags, overwrap and foam packaging cannot be disposed of in your recycling cart. Please continue to take these materials to the Recycle BC depots for disposal.
    • Hardcover and softcover books cannot be included in blue carts. Please consider donating reading items to reuse centres.
    • Shredded paper can be placed in a clear plastic bag inside your blue recycling cart (do not use coloured or opaque garbage bags). This will make it easy to pull and sort off the line at the post collection facility. All other items in the blue cart should be left loose.

    Organics:

    • Include of all food scraps (even those not suitable to backyard composting like meat, bones and dairy) as well as soiled papers (think greasy pizza boxes!)
    • Include yard waste like grass clippings, leaves and branches but please note the maximum length for branches in the cart is 24 inches, or two feet, with a two-inch diameter. This is to ensure that material can get through the truck's “hopper” system.
    • Do not include Invasive weeds (those common to the area are Japanese Knotweed, Giant Knotweed, Bohemian Knotweed, Himalayan Knotweed, Purple Loosetrife, Yellow Flag Iris and blackberry bushes). These should be disposed of in the garbage. See a full list of invasives on the BC Government website.
    • Do not include pet feces in your organics cart, this should be disposed of in the garbage.
    • Do not put 'compostable' plastic bags in the green cart.
    • Only paper bags and newspaper can be used to line the green cart and the "kitchen buddy".
    • Lining your cart with newspaper or cardboard can help items such as food waste and wet grass clipping from sticking to the bottom of the cart.

    Garbage:

    • Excess garbage bags that do not fit in the cart will not be collected.
  • The Carts are Coming!

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    Single-family homes in the City of Port Alberni will receive new recycling and organics carts between August 23 and September 10, 2021. During this time, residents are being asked to leave their garbage carts out until 5 pm on their collection day, as the crews will be conducting garbage cart maintenance.

    Residents will receive a new green cart for organics and yard waste, and a new blue cart for recycling. While similar to the existing garbage carts, the new carts are larger and designed to work with the mechanical arms of automated collection trucks. Residents will also receive a ‘Kitchen Buddy’ that can be kept inside for easy collection before transferring to the larger outdoor organics cart.

    Once you get your new carts, here’s what you need to know:

    • Organics collection will begin the week of September 13 with green carts collected every week.

    • Recycling and garbage collection will alternate week to week, on what is now your recycling day.

    • Food scraps including meat, bones, dairy, fats oils and greases along with soiled papers like pizza boxes, and yard waste, like grass clippings and tree trimmings, can all be collected in green carts.

    • Liners are not required but paper bags, including the large yard waste bags, and newspapers are permitted.

    • Plastic bags, even those marked as compostable, are not permitted.

    • Recyclables must be left loose in the bin, with all materials inside the cart. No overflow!

    • Cardboard must be broken down to avoid blockage within the collection trucks.

    The green carts are equipped with bear-resistant locks. Residents are required to ensure the locks are unclipped prior to collection. To avoid wildlife interactions, carts are not permitted roadside prior to 7 am.

    A welcome package will also be delivered with the new carts which will provide an overview of the new waste collection service. Find out how to sort specific items, as well as track pickup schedules, download collection calendars and get weekly reminders with the Sort’nGo ACRD app, available for Android and iPhone.

  • Get the Scoop on Sort'nGo this August!

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    In preparation for the September 13 launch of our roadside organics collection in Port Alberni, we have in-person and online events in August.

    Get key details about the new service including updates to waste and recycling, new schedules, how to sort and more!

    Join us:

    • Sort’nGo Info Session (ZOOM), Wednesday, August 18 from 12 pm - 1 pm. Pre-registration is required, please follow this link to save your seat.
    • Pop-Up Booth on Saturday, August 21 from 10 am - 2 pm at the Canadian Tire parking lot in Port Alberni.

    Find out what you need to know about the new service, including updates to recycling and garbage, how to schedule collection alerts, what and how to sort, and more!

    Can’t make it out to our events? We invite you to view a recording of our July info session, check the FAQs, or review the Info Sheet on this page. You can also post any questions you have about the new service.

  • Video of July Information Session Now Posted

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    Did you miss the July online information session with ACRD Organics Project Lead, Jodie Frank? Don't worry, the recording is now posted here. Take a look, and learn more about the new service coming to single-family homes in Port Alberni this September. You can even share the link with your neighbours and help them stay in the know with Sort'nGo!

    WATCH NOW: Sort'nGo Online Info Session (ZOOM) - July 7, 2021

    Don't forget about our upcoming events, as well. We have two pop-up booths happening over the summer, find details in the Key Events section of this page.

  • Stay in the know with the Sort’nGo App

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    Download the Sort'nGo app, available on the Apple Store and Google Play, and get collection schedule alerts to mobile, email or voice mail, and use the quick sort tool to help you sort items like plastic bags, styrofoam, corrugated cardboard, and grass clippings. You can also find out where to go with items that don’t belong in the carts – such as the recycling depot or landfill. There’s even an interactive sorting game to play, for a chance to win a prize.

  • Sort’nGo July Events

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    In preparation for launch of a new organics collection service in Port Alberni, we have in-person and online events in July to get key details out to residents about Sort'nGo.

    Join us:

    • Online info Session Wednesday, July 7, from 12 pm - 1 pm (pre-registration is required).
    • Pop-Up Booth event at the Home Hardware parking lot on July 10 from 11 am - 3 pm.

    You'll have opportunities to ask questions about the service, find out about new collection schedules, learn about the different cart types, how to sort, and more.

    Updates at a Glance:

    • Sort'nGo App - available now on Apple store and Google Play
    • Cart Delivery - carts will be delivered in August to all single family homes
    • Sort'nGo Launch - three-stream collection starts September 13

    Can't make it out to the events? We invite you to review the FAQs and Info Sheet on this page, or post questions you have about the new service.


  • Getting Ready to Sort'nGo Organics

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    In Spring 2021, the ACRD will launch the new Organics Collection Program in the City of Port Alberni. Sort'nGo Organics is part of a wider update to waste collection that will include automatic roadside collection trucks and uniform carts.


    To keep the community informed about the new service, how it will roll out and how to use it, this online hub has been launched. Follow along here for more information about the program, and to provide input and feedback along the way.


    Learn more about Sort'nGo Organics by:

    • Reading the FAQs on the right side of this page
    • Downloading our infosheet
Page last updated: 23 Oct 2023, 03:42 PM