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Bigger garbage carts rejected

Committee OK's recycling carts, yard-waste pickup

By: Bartley Kives

10/02/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 14

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(KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

Supersized garbage carts are out, rolling recycling bins are in and curbside composting is on the back burner, thanks to the latest round of political decisions governing waste collection in Winnipeg.

On Tuesday, city council's public works committee dealt with a trio of waste-collection recommendations from the city's water and waste department, which has been asked to work more closely with politicians and the public as it makes significant changes to the way it deals with garbage, recyclables and organic waste.

A plan to replace 60-litre blue boxes with 240-litre rolling carts for recyclable material was approved unanimously. The water and waste department conducted public opinion polls about recycling options last fall.

However, a separate proposal to allow residents of northwest Winnipeg to swap their new rolling garbage carts for larger versions was rejected, while a plan to begin spring-and-fall yard-waste pickup in the same area passed despite criticism from environmental groups and councillors. They would prefer year-round collection of all organic waste citywide.

St. Boniface Coun. Dan Vandal is now repeating his call for the city to develop a comprehensive waste-reduction plan that encompasses garbage, recycling and organics, including kitchen scraps.

"Clearly, we're moving too quickly," said Vandal, who voted against seasonal yard-waste pickup as well as the larger garbage carts, which he called a "waste maximization" policy.

"We need to take a deep breath, step back and make sure our garbage process is consistent with our recycling policy and our composting policy and come forward with a plan that seeks to minimize waste."

The moves made by the public works committee still face approval from executive policy committee on Feb. 17 and city council as a whole on Feb. 24.

Mayor Sam Katz declined to comment on Tuesday's votes or on the city's overall waste-collection strategy. The mayor will make his thoughts public when executive policy committee deals with the issues next week, a spokesman said.

Water and waste director Barry MacBride said his department does have a long-term waste-reduction plan. However, the city has no choice but to deal quickly with collection issues when existing contracts run out.

Rolling carts replaced garbage cans in northwest Winnipeg this winter after a previous garbage-collection contract ended. The city revisited recycling because its existing collection contract for about 185,000 homes expires in September.

MacBride said he has no problem with Vandal's suggestion the city could do more with organics than pick up yard waste twice a year. Spring and fall collection in northwest Winnipeg is just a first step, he said.

"I accept the concern there could be more debate and discussion about this," he said. "We haven't ruled out anything with regards to organics. By taking one step in northwest Winnipeg, that doesn't rule out anything we could wind up doing citywide."

bartley.kives @freepress.mb.ca

 

Garbage day at city hall

Refuse-collection decisions made Tuesday by city council's public works committee -- and still subject to approval by executive policy committee next week and city council as a whole on Feb. 24:

Yes to recycling carts

In September, 60-litre blue boxes at about 185,000 homes will be replaced by 240-litre rolling blue bins similar to the new rolling garbage carts in northwest Winnipeg. The committee approved a 7.5-year, $35-million recycling-collection contract with National Waste Services.

The vote: Unanimous, although committee chairman Bill Clement (Charleswood) said he felt the cost was too high.

No to oversized bins

The committee kiboshed a water and waste department plan to allow northwest Winnipeg residents who feel their 240-litre garbage carts are too small to swap them for larger carts or get additional ones, in exchange for an annual fee.

The vote: 2-1, with Couns. Harry Lazarenko (Mynarski) and Dan Vandal (St. Boniface) shooting down the plan as promoting the generation of waste.

Yes to seasonal yard-waste plan

Starting this year, northwest Winnipeg residents served by 240-litre garbage carts will have their grass clippings, leaves and other yard waste picked up by the city for four weeks each spring and fall, provided homeowners use special compostable bags.

The vote: 2-1, with Clement and Lazarenko in favour, but Vandal opposed because he said the city should have a comprehensive waste-reduction plan.

 

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 10, 2010 B1

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14 Commentscomment icon

I would like the people who claim the 240L bins are too small to answer one question for me.

What are you filling the bin with?

You can recycle paper, cardboard, plastics, glass, aluminum cans, tin cans, juice boxes and egg cartons.

What is left in your garbage that you STILL fill up a 240L bin?

In terms of the seasonal waste program, will there be a limit to how many compostable bags every house will get, and will there be a charge for these bags? I have 15+ bags of dead grass clippings every May/June.

Who knew that garbage collection was rocket science? Opinion polls and a massive, well-paid bureaucracy and they still can't figure out how to pick up garbage in an efficient and evironmentally-friendly manner.

I'm surprised that nobody has suggested that we should increase taxes to solve this problem!

This idiocy provides more proof that wisdom and common sense have been absolutely and thoroughly purged from government.

I live just outide the city and it was garbage/recycling day today in my area. EVERYONE had only 1 bag/bin of garbage and at least 2 containers of recycling. We have a family of 8 living on our street and they had the same - 1 container of garbage and 3 recycling bins! If they can do it - anyone can! For those of you who say the bins you have now aren't big enough cannot be recycling much. C'mon people - start doing your part. We need to do all we can to save this planet - I am no tree hugger that is for sure but I do get the importance of recycling. Does it take much more effort? Not really - especially since we do not have to sort the recycling anymore! Bonus! I always rinse out my containers that I throw out anyway - so they do not smell up the kitchen.

I am a taxpayer too and I understand that the more I throw out - the more people/services needed to get rid of it. Which costs more money which means my taxes will go up. It is a win-win situtation if I do my part. I help save the earth and save myself money that would otherwise go to taxes - which I hate.

For those of you complaining about the bins not being big enough, seriously look at what you are throwing out before looking to blame the city for this change.

I say fill up you can. If you have any lefy over, dump it in Dan Vandal's yard or any other councillor that is against the bigger or multiple can idea. A limit on garbage. What a joke. Where are my tax dollars going?

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Which part JJ...

Bin size? or the yard-waste timing?

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I was talking to my sister (who lives on the Quebec side of Ottawa) about the incoming changes. In Quebec you can throw anything out / at anytime. Ontario has the rolling cart systems in place for all garbage, recycling and organics.

I personally don't mind the new changes as my house and garage are conducive to the large rolling bins, but I do know there are many residents in this city who's places or situations are not.

The one thing that did come up as a nuisance, was the scheduling of pick-ups. In Ontario your garbage pick-up is almost everyday. One day is garbage, one day is recycle w/o cardboard, then one day for organics, then a day for recycle w/ cardboard ... etc. etc.

I personally don't want to be hauling out/in and keeping large garbage bins in front of my house practically everyday.

If this does come round, I think I will use the bins to display anti-political messages...

Thanks for the rolling billboards Katz & Co.

10 Bucks says this will be reversed at Executive Policy Committee.

I think that new larger blue bins along with the new rolling garbage bins and seasonal yard -waste pick up are all great ideas!!It just too bad that the people I saw on the news complaining about the size of the new garbage bins, and not recycling as far as I was able to see, are actually going to have to start recycling.....

I wonder, will they offer larger or multiple recyclable bins? They obviously aren't with the regular garbage, but what happens if someone's recyclables become greater than their bins can handle? Besides, isn't that what they are looking to promote in the end anyway, greater recycling?

BM

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