It was a lot of work, but after 52 trips to the transfer station, municipal grounds staff picked up and sorted Jasper residents’ items to be thrown away, the day after the Take-it-or-Leave-it curbside swap, according to Environmental Stewardship Co-ordinator Janet Cooper.

Using the entire fleet of vehicles, the staff sorted the items on site, rather than at the transfer station, making things easier.

One trip was made to carry appliances, which totaled 1,470 items, while two trips for trees were made, transporting 1,055 trees. Yard waste and unsorted waste accounted for the most trips, with 17 and 21 trips respectively.

Nine trips to transport metal were made, and two trips of solid waste.

“It actually went really well, and I had a lot of positive feedback from the people using the curbside Take-it-or-Leave-it, in spite of the rainy weather, which I think dampened it a bit. But the plan is now that every year we have a spring and a fall pick-up, and it will always be proceeded now by a curbside Take-it-or-Leave-it. And then people will become more accustomed to it,” Cooper said.

At the last Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee meeting, she said it was also suggested that she run a Take-it-or-Leave-it Day at the end of each month during the summer for temporary, seasonal workers who might be looking for household items.

These programs wouldn’t have any involvement from the town, and residents would simply have to bring back into their home what was not taken.

A bigger Take-it-or-Leave-it event will occur at the Enviro-Fair at the old firehall parking lot on Patricia St. on Saturday, June 5. 

Cooper is still working on getting a street hockey tournament organized during Environment Week (same week as the Enviro Fair), but said she is still waiting on confirmation.