City to keep biweekly trash pickup in winter

No evidence of ‘garbage wars’ or more illegal dumping during pilot project: staff

Despite warnings of coming “garbage wars,” council opted to make Regina’s experiment with biweekly trash pickup a permanent feature of winter life.

City trucks will now pick up garbage every second week from November to March every year, with a brief respite around Christmas. Residents who need an extra bin to accommodate surplus trash can pay $156.95 per year for a 360-litre cart or $116.80 per year for a 240-litre cart.

At Monday’s council meeting, Coun. Jerry Flegel said council was opening up a “hornet’s nest.”

“Is it right to charge for different sizes? Because now we’re going to start having garbage wars between residents,” said Flegel, predicting that some may simply dump excess trash in their neighbours’ bins. From there, he warned, things could escalate.

“You’re going to have people say ‘that’s not my garbage — it’s going on the street.’”

But city staff said there was no evidence of anything like that during the pilot project that began last November.

“There were no garbage wars,” said solid waste director Lisa Legault.

She added that staff also noted no increase in illegal dumping.

Legault said the price for an extra cart reflects the cost of providing it, plus landfill tipping fees. It does not include the price of the truck that brings the trash to the dump.

She said the plan responds to the main concern the city heard from residents. According to a survey this spring, most had no trouble adapting to biweekly pickup. But 44 per cent mentioned problems. For many, trash would pile up as they waited two weeks for the next garbage day. The extra bin is meant to help them cope — for a price.

Coun. Sharron Bryce was among the majority who supported the move.

“Now we have a choice for people to have that second bin,” she said. “... We’re giving people what they wanted.”

Council first moved to biweekly garbage pickup last year in the midst of cuts to provincial transfers. City staff reported that the pilot cut costs and slightly reduced the amount of trash going to the dump.

Mayor Michael Fougere said Monday’s vote is mainly a budget decision. It’s expected to save about $240,000 per year.

He didn’t buy Flegel’s garbage war warnings, but he said the city will keep an eye on it.

“I just don’t see it,” he said. “Now, maybe it will happen, but we’re offering people a second bin if they want to — and they can pay for it — so why would they do that? Why would they sort of throw their stuff somewhere else? I don’t get it.”