Households have produced less garbage during pandemic than originally thought, data shows

While the pandemic has forced more residents to live at home, the municipality has actually collected less garbage during the past two months compared to the same time last year.

City hall has monitored the volume of waste going to the landfill since the provincial government ordered everyone to stay home on March 17, a city council report explained. Since then, city hall has analyzed bi-weekly residential waste collection for March and April compared to March, April and May of last year. The data for 2019 and 2020 show:

• March: 224,642 kgs / 214,273 kgs;

• April: 299,994 kgs / 274,440 kgs;

• May: 308,810 kgs/ N/A.

Based on these numbers, the quantity of waste disposed of in the residential stream in April is 8.5-per-cent less compared to last year, the report noted. Based on the empirical data, the coronavirus pandemic has not contributed to an increase in residential waste disposal.

City administration had considered starting weekly garbage collection a month early, on May 1 versus June 1, although this would have cost $25,000.

“We are not sure why that (decrease in garbage) is. We double-checked the figures and they are accurate,” city manager Jim Puffalt told council on April 27. “We polled other cities. This is across the board. Some are increasing, some are decreasing, and some are staying the same.” Since more people are at home and this has been a warm spring, city hall believes providing a free day at the landfill to drop off yard waste would be beneficial, he continued. This would also ensure yard waste doesn’t end up in garbage bins.

The weekend of May 2 and 3 allowed residents to dispose of their yard waste for free at the landfill. The second such weekend will be the Victoria Day long weekend from May 15 to 17. It will cost the municipality $1,500 to run this second weekend.

City administration can live with two free weekends at the landfill, Puffalt added. This might take pressure off some people if only a few residents have additional garbage.

Coun. Chris Warren supported having two free weekends at the landfill for yard waste, noting four of five people in his household are now at home every day and they have not produced any extra garbage.

Besides yard waste, Warren also wondered what options residents had to dispose of hazardous household waste. There were two hazardous household waste days scheduled, but the pandemic caused the cancellation of the spring drop off, said Darrin Stephanson, manager of utilities. However, the second drop-off day could occur in the fall, depending upon how the rollout of the province’s Re-open Saskatchewan Plan goes.

However, he added, the landfill does accept materials such as oil, antifreeze and typical motor lubricants. It’s good to receive feedback about just how much garbage the municipality has collected during this time, while it’s also positive that city hall double-checked the numbers, said Coun. Heather Eby. However, she still hears from some homeowners that their garbage is full regularly and they want weekly pickup to start on May 1. “I understand that this is an issue for some people,” she added, “but we do have to follow the report and information we have from administration.”

Council later approved a motion to receive and file the report and to approve a second free drop-off of yard waste at the landfill during the May long weekend for $1,500.