C.D.N.-N.D.G. deploys blue-collar workers to get a handle on recent recycling chaos
After weeks of recycling headaches and messy curbs, the Côtedes-Neiges—Notre-Dame-deGrâce borough will be replacing its current recycling company, which Mayor Sue Montgomery called “terrible.”
Meanwhile, the borough sent out six trucks with blue-collar workers Sunday to deal with the mess Montgomery says was left by the contractor, Ricova. The borough will continue to deploy blue-collars if curbs have not been cleared on designated recycling days.
In a tweet, Montgomery said, “All should be back to normal by July 30 with new company, but next 3 weeks will be a challenge.”
Since January, the borough has received 1,264 complaints related to recycling not being collected. Ricova’s contract with the city began one month before.
C.D.N.—N.D.G. spokesperson Sonia Beauchemain said the borough maintains the right to seek compensation for the trouble allegedly caused by Ricova. Beauchemain confirmed that they have already fined the company $60,000.
The company claims, however, that the main cause for the headaches was a last-minute change to the city’s call for tenders. Ricova says they were initially asked to provide a quote for the pickup of 6,000 tonnes of material, but the city changed the amount to 11,000 tonnes right before the due date.
Reportedly unaware of the change, Ricova had the lowest quote — citing the cost of picking up almost half of what would be needed — and was awarded the contract.
Beauchemain confirmed that the city changed the amount, but unlike Ricova, other bidders had adjusted their quotes in time.
In a statement to the Montreal Gazette, Ricova also blamed problems at the city’s triage centre for recyclable materials for delays in pickups. They say their trucks wait up to six hours to unload, a task that used to take 20 minutes. In an email from January that was forwarded to the Montreal Gazette, Ricova’s general manager, François Leduc, asked the city to help address the wait times, which he said amounts to 48 hours per week.
“Within the last 10 days there have been extra delays due to the end of June and the beginning of July being extremely busy periods for pickups because of all the moving happening on and around July 1,” the company’s statement said.
A report by the CBC Tuesday points to Montreal’s problems with Ricova being more widespread.
The Outremont borough also had problems with the company and issued a $2,000 fine last year, though the situation has not improved since, spokesperson Sylvain Leclerc told the Gazette. Michele Blais from Ahuntsic-Cartierville also said they’ve had issues with Ricova in the past.
A statement issued by the C.D.N.—N.D.G. borough asks that residents respect their regular recycling pickup times, saying that it would allow the city to “better assess failing sectors and deploy the necessary resources to the right places, efficiently.”