Local

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

City to unveil solid waste strategy this fall

Effort to improve garbage diverted from city landfill

By: Mary Agnes Welch

Posted: 05/26/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS 080925 File photo Empty recycling bins sit amongst garbage bags set out for pick-up on a street in Winnipeg.

Get set for more arguments about bag bans, rolling bins and leaf depots.

Winnipeg's tortured garbage debate will heat up again this fall when city hall unveils the first draft of its long-term solid waste strategy. It's meant to replace the hodgepodge of garbage, blue box and yard waste collection systems scattered all over the city and boost the city's waste diversion rate from 17 per cent.

Diversion rates

Definition: How much garbage is diverted from the landfill through recycling or organic waste collection.

Winnipeg: 17% (2007)

Vancouver: 52% (2009)

Edmonton: 60% (2008)

Halifax: 60% (2010)

Toronto: 70% (2010 goal)

That rate is among the worst, if not the worst, in Canada.

"Our goal is to go from last to first," said Darryl Drohomerski, the city's solid waste manager.

Council asked for the long-term strategy earlier this year. At Tuesday's public works committee meeting, councillors approved the scope of the study and $350,000 in funding.

Solid waste staff will spend the summer reviewing what's in place now, what works in other cities, what options for recycling, composting and garbage collection Winnipeg ought to consider and how much those might shrink the amount of waste buried at Brady Road Landfill. Then, in October or November, Winnipeggers will get to critique some of those ideas at a series of open houses and community meetings.

The city will likely also do telephone polling and online surveys, and it will be assembling an advisory panel of community leaders.

For the last decade, and especially since last fall when the super-sized garbage carts were introduced in northwest Winnipeg, the city has been riven by endless debate over garbage collection. Given Winnipeg's patchwork system -- rolling garbage bins in some areas, yard waste pickup in others, a smattering of backyard composters -- and the city's abysmal diversion rate, there's a lot to deal with.

Should some, more affluent inner-city neighbourhoods like Wolseley be weened off autobins, which generate almost twice the garbage per household as curbside pickup?

Should the black rolling garbage bins now used in the northwest quadrant be expanded to the whole city? And should every house get bigger recycling carts instead of the squat blue boxes?

Should Winnipeg ban organics in the landfill like Halifax did and create a curbside composting program where homeowners can put their yard waste and kitchen scraps in green bins?

Or, instead of three different bins for every home, Drohomerski said it may be worth investing in a new sorting facility like the one in Edmonton, where organics are automatically separated from regular garbage and turned into compost. Drohomerski said the city will also study how often curbside pickups should be and whether it's worth burning garbage and capturing the energy like many cities in Europe do.

The strategy is a "fantastic opportunity" and a long time coming, said Peter Miller, a senior scholar at the University of Winnipeg's Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research and the policy chair at Resource Conservation Manitoba.

Miller said once a plan is in place, it might be smart to launch pilot projects in some areas of the city to work out the kinks before a volley of early complaints short-circuit the process and weakens council's resolve. "Everyone remembers (former mayor) Glen Murray trying to get people to pay for anything beyond two bags of garbage," laughed Miller.

maryagnes.welch@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 26, 2010 B2

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

WFP Hockey

Download our new hockey app for the iPhone for Winnipeg Jets updates
Editor's Bulletin

Sign up for daily bulletins from editor Margo Goodhand
Winnipeg Jets

All things NHL on our Jets landing page
Twitter

Follow our reporters and our news feeds on Twitter
News Cafe

Check out the menu, read our blog posts or get info on coming events
Facebook Fanpage

Follow our Facebook Fanpage for story links, contests and special events