City studying garbage habits
Collection of recyclables, organic waste now taking place on Mondays
There is plenty of news on the garbage front in Pointe-Claire.
The collection schedule has changed. Garbage trucks are now running on biodiesel. And, the city has launched a waste study, with the goal of reducing the amount of garbage that ends up in landfills.
Organic material and recyclables are now collected on Monday.
Organic bins will be mechanically emptied, so only the city-authorized 80-, 120- and 240-litre green bins will be accepted.
It’s important to note that plastic bags, even of the compostable variety, should not be placed in organic-waste bins.
Household waste will be picked up every other Tuesday, alternating between Sector A and Sector B.
Sector A covers the areas west of St-Jean Boulevard and south of Highway 20.
Sector B covers the areas east of St-Jean Boulevard and north of Highway 20.
Pointe-Claire spokesperson Marie-Pier Paquette-Séguin said every effort was made to inform citizens of the changes.
The city posted notices online, on Twitter, on the electronic billboard outside city hall and on the television monitors within city hall. A collection guide was distributed door-to-door and weekly notices have been published in local newspapers since mid-March.
Between mid-April and mid-November, city garbage trucks will run on environmentally friendly biodiesel. The trucks will revert to regular diesel during the winter months.
During the adjustment period to the new schedule, the time of day garbage is collected may change from what residents are used to. Collection hours are from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Pointe-Claire has also launched what’s called a waste-characterization program.
Over the course of the four seasons, household waste gathered from waste bins throughout city territory will be analyzed. No address or personal information will be attached to the samples.
Three streets per district for a total of 24 streets will be selected at random. A minimum of 1,200 kilograms of garbage will be gathered over a two-week period for each seasonal sample.
The analysis of the garbage will help the city tweak its wastemanagement plan with the goal of reaching the targets detailed in the 2015-20 Québec Residual Materials Management Policy.
In 2015, Pointe-Claire placed second for waste management in the Montreal Agglomeration.
The city surpassed the government goal of 70 per cent for collection of recycled materials by four per cent, but is five per cent shy of the 60 per cent for organic materials and four per cent shy of the 70 per cent target for bulky items and construction and demolition materials.
In 2015, Pointe-Claire ranked second among all cities in the agglomeration of Montreal in terms of waste management, with an overall recovery rate of 64 per cent versus 43 per cent for all cities in the agglomeration.
There will be a waste-management information session at city hall, 415 St-Jean Blvd., June 15 at 7 p.m. To register, send an email to communications@pointe-claire.ca or call 514-630-1200.
If you need a smaller, 80-litre organic waste bin, a second waste bin, or if your bin has been damaged and needs to be repaired or replaced, call 514-630-1230 or send an email to tp@pointe-claire.ca. For more information about household waste collection in PointeClaire, visit-pointe-claire.ca, click on “For Residents,” “Environment” and “Waste Collection Guide.”
Over the course of the four seasons, household waste gathered from waste bins throughout city territory will be analyzed.