New facility to serve growing community participation

The City of Edmonton will be opening its third Eco Station at 9 a.m. on December 8, 2009, to meet demand as Edmontonians’ participation in managing their waste responsibly grows. The Ambleside Eco Station, located at 14710 Ellerslie Road will process household hazardous waste, electronics, and waste too large for regular collection, and will feature a large reuse area.

“The Ambleside Eco Station will make it easier for residents to dispose of their waste in an environmentally responsible way,” said Mayor Stephen Mandel. “This is another milestone in Edmonton’s long history of being a leader in waste management.”

“Edmonton is an environmental leader because of the participation of our citizens,” said Lorna Rosen, General Manager for Asset Management and Public Works. “Their efforts, combined with City Council’s commitment to an environmentally sustainable city, are leading the way.”

“Supporting strong, sustainable communities is a priority for our government. That is why I am so pleased that the Government of Alberta was able to provide funding for this new Eco Station,” said Ray Danyluk, Minister of Municipal Affairs. “Throughout the province, we are seeing many great examples of Municipal Sustainability Initiative funding at work. Congratulations to the City of Edmonton for their work on this project.”

Edmonton’s two other Eco Stations are running at full capacity. In the last five years, traffic at Eco Stations has increased an average 16 per cent each year, resulting in large amounts of material collection. For example, Eco Stations accepted 170,456 fluorescent light tubes in 2008 – laid end to end, they would span 208 kilometres, or the approximate distance from Edmonton to Edson.

The Ambleside Eco Station will relieve pressure on existing facilities. It is the largest of the three Eco Stations with more room for traffic and material processing, and green options such as solar panels to heat water. Visitors will also notice five large public art murals on the building, which supports the City’s Percent for Art initiative. The artist collected trash found on the street to create the sculptures featured in the murals.

The Ambleside Eco Station cost $14 million to build, and was supported by the Government of Alberta’s Municipal Sustainability Initiative. This project supports EcoVision Edmonton, City Council’s vision for an environmentally sustainable city.

For Eco Station hours and more information, visit www.edmonton.ca/waste.