Garbage kinks being worked out
Curbside trash across Region now collected every two weeks
So far, so good — that’s the message after the first few days of changes to garbage and recycling collection in Niagara.
Catherine Habermebl, Niagara Region’s director of waste management, said her staff is prepared for a learning curve as curbside trash collection becomes an every-other-week affair for residents.
Trucks will continue collect recyclables and compostables every week.
“We ran into some issues on the first day — which we expected. The trucks were running their routes for the first time. They have to unload for the first time. Some of the drivers are new to the area and learning their maps,” Habermebl said.
“It is a new contract. There is going to be a transition period for everyone from the user to the contractor, and the staff.”
Habermebl anticipates that by Week 3 the system will be running smoothly.
The Region broke from the past and split the new waste collection contract between GFL, an acronym for Green for Life, and Miller Waste Systems.
The new deals, when combined, are worth roughly $220 million over seven years with escalation clauses for fuel charges and changes to the consumer price index.
The Region began a multipronged public relations blitz over the summer to prepare everyone for the changes with a “Box It, Bin It, Sort It” catchphrase.
A mailer went out to every home in July.
“We wanted people thinking about what they needed when the changeover occurred,” Habermebl said.
“We are getting an influx of calls,” she said. “That is what we expected. We have been thanking the residents and the businesses for their patience.
“There are ways for them to get information. They can go on our website and type in their address and get reminders. There is an app they can download.”
Blue and grey boxes, green bins and leaf and yard waste will continue to be picked up every week across all municipalities. Residents can put out two trash bags or containers every other week.
This week, the Region’s contractors collect trash in Fort Erie, Niagara-on-the-lake, Pelham, St. Catharines, Thorold,
Wainfleet and West Lincoln.
Trash pickup comes next week for Grimsby, Lincoln, Niagara Falls, Port Colborne and Welland.
“From June to September, we saw a 90 per cent increase in requests for green bins from the same time last year and about a 70 per cent increase in requests for blue and grey boxes,” said Habermebl.
“People are still dropping into our distribution centres for new green bins and boxes. We have more than100 requests for exemptions in the queue.”
The goal is to increase Niagara’s residential diversion rate — the percentage of waste not going to landfill — which stalled at 56 per cent. That means 44 per cent of Niagara’s waste ends up in landfills.
Increasing the diversion of recyclables and organic waste preserves landfill space, saves natural resources and reduces Niagara’s impact on climate change, a report to council said.
The previous deal with Emterra Environmental became a source of angst for residents and politicians. The company struggled to fulfil its obligations in the final years of its contract.
During one three-week period in April and May 2019, Emterra fell short on its curbside pickup obligations on 10 of 15 collection days. That left garbage at more than 40,000 households sitting at the end of driveways overnight. At one point, the Region had to find extra staff to answer the flood of complaints.
Eventually, regional councillors voted to take away a portion of Emterra’s contract and gave the routes to Canadian Waste Management Inc. The Region also withheld payment under a process called “liquidated damages.”