Old, intact toilets clog up the curb
Everybody wants their home to have curb appeal, but putting an old toilet on the boulevard is no way to improve it.
Sooner or later, a toilet that no longer flushes properly or doesn’t fit in with a bathroom redo has to go.
Luckily, it can be put out to the curb for pickup by solid waste management.
But we’ve all seen toilets that languish on a boulevard for weeks or months, like a turd that will not flush or a grunting sufferer who waits and waits for something that can’t happen too soon.
Many people don’t understand why waste collection personnel continually pass by in their trucks without picking it up.
A lot of them think, “What’s the matter with those garbage guys? Why don’t they do their job?”
In fact, they are doing exactly what they’re supposed to: Leaving the old toilet at the curb until it is disas- sembled. Lately, we’ve driven past several toilets put out for collection in one piece, instead of disconnecting the tank from the pedestal, which is a big no-no around here.
Solid waste management will not collect a toilet that has not been put out in two pieces because of the potential for injury to the person picking them up and hefting them into the truck.
Many older toilets weigh about 25 kilograms and are unwieldy to lift. The guy who has to pick it up could injure his back, triggering a compensation claim and lost time from work.
So consider yourself warned of the ironclad rule that toilets won’t be collected unless they are in two pieces, which doesn’t seem to be nearly as well-known by the public as it should be. It also recommends removing the seat and putting it in your grey bin. Status: Pat Barrett, who deals with media for solid waste management, said garbage truck drivers have a supply of “door hangers” that include an area that can be filled in by collection personnel to explain why a toilet has not been picked up. But it seems to us that the door hangers aren’t very effective.
What if the driver doesn’t fill it out or go looking for the right door?
We’ve suggested that large fluorescent tags be attached with a twist tie to one-piece toilets, informing people of the rules and reminding them that it won’t be collected until it is taken apart.
Drivers are a lot more likely to use them. Barrett said residents should consult their solid waste collection calendar for information and what can be put out, and how. They can also go to the city’s Waste Wizard for information. What’s broken in your neighbourhood? Wherever you are in Greater Toronto, we want to know. To contact us, go to thestar.com/yourtoronto/the_fixer or email jlakey@thestar.ca. To read our blog, go to thestar.com/news/the_fixer. Report problems and follow us on Twitter @TOStarFixer.