Council approves garbage-fee plan

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This article was published 19/10/2011 (5441 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG – City council voted in favour of a new garbage and recycling master plan Wednesday that aims to improve the city’s wasteful track record.

The plan calls for Winnipeg to roll out 185,000 recycling carts and 145,000 garbage carts citywide next year in an effort to get residents to recycle more and throw away less. The carts hold 240 litres, which is roughly three standard-sized garbage bags or four blue boxes.

The new plan comes with a $50 annual flat fee that will be tacked on to residents’ water bills.

Winnipeg currently has one of the lowest trash diversion rates in the country, and only about 15 per cent of all waste is diverted away from landfills. The changes are expected to increase the diversion rate to 55 per cent over the next decade.

After a lengthy debate, the majority of council supported the plan in a vote 11-4. Couns. Paula Havixbeck (Charleswood-Tuxedo) and Scott Fielding (St. James) voted in favour of the master plan, just one week after they panned it at council’s executive policy committee.

Havixbeck said the mayor did not ask her to switch her vote, and changed her mind after numerous constituents expressed their disappointment at her initial position.

Couns. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan), Ross Eadie (Mynarski), Mike Pagtakhan (Point Douglas) and Harvey Smith (Daniel McIntyre) voted against it. Eadie argued for a more equitable way to distribute the fee, and suggested it be based on a home’s assessed value. Smith said Winnipeg should make an effort to reduce all waste, not just residential trash.

More than half of all waste sent to landfill comes from commercial businesses and industry.

Mayor Sam Katz said Eadie’s idea was well-intentioned but does not reward people for recycling more and throwing away less. While there may still be some opposition to the plan, Katz said the majority of council voted in favour of what’s best for the city.

He said the fee works out to 13.5 cents a day.

“This is the first step and it’s a great first step,” Katz said.

City council approved a plan to create a citizen’s advisory committee who will work with administration on how to implement the new garbage strategy. Katz said the city should find a way to reward people who throw away less garbage – if you throw away less, you pay less – and that could be part of future discussions. He said any changes to the master plan have to be approved by council.

Public works chairman Coun. Dan Vandal (St. Boniface) said much has changed since council shot down a similar move to limit garbage and increase recycling 10 years ago under former mayor Glen Murray.

“It’s incredible. Ten years ago we received so much negative feedback about the waste minimization initiatives, compared to today,” Vandal said. “I think that tells me people are more in tune with those issues and people understand that environmental issues are more important than ever.”

jen.skerritt@freepress.mb.ca