‘Significant jump’ seen in usage of green bins

KITCHENER — Four months into the new waste collection rules, Waterloo Region residents are doing a good job at getting compostable items into the green bin.

In June, green bin tonnage topped 2,000 tonnes, compared to 880 the previous June.

“It’s a significant jump,” said Cari Rastas Howard, waste management program manager for the region. “We appreciate all the great work that’s being done and we really hope people keep it up.”

Year to date, organic waste is at 9,200 tonnes compared to 5,000 for the same period last year. Recycling is up slightly, too.

Tonnage this year includes two months before the collection rules changed in early March; garbage and bulky items are picked up alternate weeks, while recycling and green bins are picked up at the curb every week. The changes were adopted with the goal of boosting green bin use in the region.

“It’s fantastic to see that’s having the result we hoped for,” Rastas Howard said.

The region has a 10-year deal with the City of Guelph to process green bin waste based on a 20,000tonne estimate, and the per-tonne

cost of processing is higher because the region hasn’t been meeting the target.

While green bin use usually does drop off a bit in the summer, Rastas Howard hopes people will stick with the good habit.

“We’re really happy. We’re looking to try and keep everyone on the green bin through the summer months.”

People are encouraged to use a bin liner in the summer, and layer paper to absorb liquid and keep odours and pests at bay.

“Even if it’s not full, put it out every week,” Rastas Howard said.

The biggest challenge now is proper sorting of recycling in blue boxes using the two-box system, one for containers and one for paper products. Plastic bags go in the paper box, while milk and juice cartons go in the container box.

“We’re still seeing some confusion,” Rastas Howard said.

Better sorting at home saves time for collection crews, and ultimately money.

Residents are sticking to the garbage bag limit, set at four bags per single home. Rastas Howard said staff are hearing surprise from people about how little garbage they’re putting out at the curb. “For a lot of people, it wasn’t as challenging maybe as they feared it would be.”