Huxted plans new initiatives for Waste Reduction Week

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

A year ago H&H Huxted Enterprises worked around the clock to tackle cleanliness and safety issues on their then recently acquired recycle yard; changes that now allow the company to hit the ground running to implement numerous projects as Waste Reduction Week quickly approaches.
While Huxted has introduced various initiatives, including the ambitious goal to turn part of the area into a class 1 composting site – an objective achieved just before the Strathmore Alberta 55 Plus Summer Games in July – the existence of Waste Reduction Week from Oct. 19 to Oct. 25 is providing an opportunity to educate Strathmore residents and inch closer to their goal of turning Strathmore into the town with the least amount of waste province-wide.
“We’re shooting for Strathmore to be the place that has the least amount of waste in Alberta because there’s no reason why we can’t be,” said Colin Huxted, owner of H&H Huxted Enterprises.
“We’re nicely just getting back to helping Mother Earth. We’ve been abusing Mother Earth for years, and pushing the stuff in the landfills and letting the stuff leach out into the oceans. Now it’s time to start taking that stuff out and doing it properly.”
As the composting site recently received its class 1 status, Huxted will make an announcement to inform the community about being able to compost organics and bio-solids. Although the site was only able to accept yard scraps, trees, and grass under the class 2 previously, residents can now drop off their kitchen scraps to be composted into reusable and nutrient-rich materials.
However, the recycle yard is expanding their horizons even further by approaching facilities within the town, such as the aquatic centre, the Strathmore Family Centre, and senior lodges to provide education on proper recycling practices while donating some of their REXcycle bins. Additionally, Huxted is planning on approached local restaurants as well. Having collected over 2,000 lbs of food scraps to be composted from the Strathmore Alberta 55 Plus Summer Games to be composted, he is aware of the benefits of keeping the materials, that make up 30 to 40 per cent – out of the landfills. The initiatives will also include a place for residents to drop off their old cell phones that currently end up in the garbage, and possibly an area to drop off expired car seats.
However, the company expects Strathmore to exercise greater recycling practices within a year’s time. Huxted said he is in the process of ordering biodegradable cornstarch bags and composting bins he envisions will become a staple in every resident’s home.
Eight composting piles are currently cooking on the property at temperatures around 70 degrees Celsius. Waste Reduction Week runs Oct. 19 until Oct. 25.