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Edmonton’s habit of dumping all recyclables in the same truck and squishing it together makes valuable cardboard and plastics unusable for many entrepreneurs.

“If it’s mixed, it stays mixed. It’s not worth it,” said Ken Scott, who sources clean newspapers for a local insulation company.

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The company collects used newspaper, grinds it up and adds fire retardant, then uses it to fill attics and walls across Edmonton. But the company can’t use what gets thrown into a blue bag, said Scott, who has to go as far as B.C. and Manitoba to find old newspaper, since Edmonton’s is too dirty.

Edmonton is due to release its strategy for cleaning up the city’s recycling and waste handling practices any day, with a debate at a utility committee meeting scheduled for next Friday.

Separate bins under consideration

Multiple recycling bins — or at least a separate compost bin — are being considered, city officials previously told council’s audit committee as they try to find ways to bring Edmonton’s recycling program back to its former glory.