Scroll through the categories below to learn more about our Environment-related Programs & Initiatives.
The Municipal Government Act (MGA) requires that every Alberta municipality complete annual audited financial statements, a copy of which must be submitted to Municipal Affairs by May 1 of each year. The financial statements must be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for municipal governments in Canada, as set out in the Public Sector Accounting Handbook.
Municipalities can become liable for costs associated with brownfield sites under several circumstances.
In the context of brownfield redevelopment, liability generally refers to environmental liability related to contamination. In theory, Alberta follows the polluter pays principle as the Environmental Protection and Enforcement Act sets out the “responsibility of polluters to pay for the costs of their actions.”
The province most often deals with contaminated land as a “substance release” into the environment, which causes an adverse effect. A person responsible for a “substance release” can include:
If you are not for zero waste, how much waste are you for?
Final placement or riddance of wastes, under proper process and authority, by landfill or incineration.
Recovery uses various technologies to convert waste material into usable forms of energy, including heat, fuel, or electricity.
Recycling refers to diverting products from disposal at the end of their useful lives. This includes sorting, transporting, and processing them to produce secondary sources of materials that are subsequently used in the production of new goods.
Composting is considered to be a form of recycling and is defined as is a biological process that breaks down kitchen, lawn, and garden wastes into soil-like material called humus.
Reusing involves the use of a product more than once without altering its form, whether for the same or for a different purpose.
The goal of reuse is to keep using items as long as they have a function or value. Municipalities can support reuse by linking those who have items with those who want them through events, standalone facilities, or dedicated areas of recycle depots or landfill centers.
The benefits of reuse include:
Source reduction, also called waste prevention, means consuming and throwing away less. Source reduction can be achieved by purchasing durable, long-lasting goods, as well as seeking products and packaging that represent a reduction in materials, energy consumption or toxicity.
A common approach to waste management that begins with the 3R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle. When the 3Rs have been exhausted, recovery and disposal can enter the bottom of the hierarchy as last resorts.
