Garbage collection providers to change for Colchester and Truro
Colchester County and Truro residents will soon see a new brand of trucks and employees doing their garbage collections.
Beginning Nov. 1, county collections will be made by the Royal Environmental Group Inc., while Truro residents will see their garbage and recyclables collected by Miller Waste Disposal.
For the past ve years, county collections have been done by Miller Waste, while Truro’s garbage has been handled by Fero Waste and Recycling Inc.
Stewiacke’s garbage will continue to be collected by Miller Waste.
“We put it all out as one tender, so everybody was bidding on the same requirements but they put it out so each area had its own contract submission,” said Andrew Mackinnon, public works director for the Town of Truro.
Colchester County’s ve-year contract has been set at $8.4 million or $1.68 million per year. at works out to a total saving of $1.5 million for the county from the past contract.
e new contract also includes leaf and yard waste pickup, which was not part of the previous deal.
“The new contractor seems anxious to provide an exceptional level of service to the community and we have high expectations,” said Wayne Wamboldt, Colchester’s solid waste director.
e new rate for the town of Truro is $292,980 per year for a total of $1.46 million over the next ve years. Mackinnon said that rate results in savings to the town of $23,000 per year over the previous contract.
Under the new contract, town residents can also put out one big/bulky item for each pickup, in keeping with the same arrangement initiated previously for the county. And while both municipalities have retained the spring clean-up collections, the fall bigitem cleanup has been eliminated in Truro (Colchester had already phased out the fall cleanup).
“We were trying to mirror all of our services so that we’re doing the same things as them,” Mackinnon said. “One group puts out the communication so it is easier if each area is the same.”
e town is also switching to a Tuesday to Friday pickup schedule from the previous five-day collection period. That system eliminates collection issues when a holiday falls on a Monday as well as providing an extra week day to substitute for snow days when the bale ll facility is closed.
e Town of Stewiacke opted to remain with Miller Waste for its collection services. e veyear, $63,644 contract is approximately $8,000 per year more than the previous one.
“But we’re getting more service as well,” said town CAO Douglas Bak.
at includes bi-weekly curbside collection of one bulky item per serviced unit, with a separate collection of metal and CFC containing units.
Stewiacke also opted to continue with spring and fall cleanup collections. And from mid-july to mid-september the town has also added weekly green cart, organics pickup.
Previously that service was only provided bi-weekly. e new contract also includes Christmas tree pickups.
“Although we’re paying a bit more than we have been, we’re getting more service,” Bak said.
And when in ationary costs are factored in, he added, that value per cost for residents is equalled out even more.