Trash vote coming today
Posted May 25, 2015 06:03:31 AM.
Last Updated May 26, 2015 04:43:17 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The future of garbage collection in Waterloo Region will be decided on Tuesday.
Staff will be presented with an option that would see garbage collection take place bi-weekly, with a limit of four bags per household with recycling and green bin collections continuing every week.
Cari Rasta-Howard is the project manager with Waste Management and tells 570 News this option would extend the life of the region’s only landfill.
“It does currently have 15 to 20 years of capacity left but anytime we can keep material that doesn’t have to be in the landfill out of the landfill is going to extend the life of that community asset.”
Rasta-Howard says the option could also save up to $1.5-million dollars.
She is also hoping council approves a bag-tag program that would allow people to purchase extra tags if they need to set out additional bags.
“That would also give us the option available if you have a family with children with small diapers, we want to have some exemptions in place because they cannot go in either the green bin or the blue box.”
Rasta-Howard adds Waste Management wants to assist people because ‘it really is the best choice for our community.’
The municipal blue box program was invented in the city of Kitchener in 1983, making the region a world-wide leader in waste diversion.
Rastas-Howard says ‘this is a chance for us to get back on track and maintain that reputation for keeping valuable resources out of the landfill and doing our part.’
She adds ‘all we are trying to do is encourage people to make sure they get everything possible into the blue box and everything possible into the green bin. The waste will still be collected but it should hopefully be better sorted.”
The new rule would take effect March 2017 when the current waste collection contract ends.
Any decision made Tuesday would need to be presented to council for approval when staff meet on June 3rd.
