Greater Sudbury is unveiling its strategy to get residents used to throwing out less garbage, and diverting more waste to recycling and composting programs.
Starting in October, the three bags a week limit will be reduced to two. In 2019, the weekly limit drops to one and by 2021, garbage pickup will be every second week, limited to two bags.
Before that, city staff plan to roll out programs to help people who, for different reasons, must throw out more garbage than others. They also have a proposed communication plan aimed at informing residents why the changes are taking place.
Families with children still in diapers, for example, can register in the clear bag program, in which they can throw out more than the limit using clear plastic garbage bags, provided they also use recycling and composting programs.
The can also get a one-time subsidy of $100 to help them buy reusable cloth diapers.
“The program would be capped at $10,000 per year until 2026 and offered on a first come, first serve basis,” the report says.
People with medical issues such as incontinence would be eligible for extra garbage tags. City staff would register them in the program and provide the tags.
Pet owners can also participate in the clean bag program, and would be eligible for a one-time $50 rebate to help them buy a dog waste digester, which turns animal feces into liquid. That program would be capped at $2,500 a year.
Other residents can still buy bag tags to throw out more garbage. The tags are sold in a package of five for $10.
“Staff recommends maintaining the current weekly residential landfill exemptions at 50 kilograms per week,” the report says. “Staff also recommends maintaining the spring and fall residential tipping fee exemption weeks, with one exception. Staff recommends that the hours for the Walden Small Vehicle Waste Transfer Site be expanded to match landfill site hours for these two weeks.”
The changes in garbage collection were approved in February and is largely driven by the difficulty in getting approval for new city dumps, as well as the cost, which a staff report says could cost as much as $50 million. Several other communities have already made similar changes.
Reducing garbage bag limits is also seen as key to increasing participation in recycling and composting programs, which will become more expensive as residents divert more waste from the landfill.
As part of the strategy, the city would provide free blue boxes and green carts to residents, and reduce the cost of a big blue barrel bin from $20 to $10.
For people concerned about having garbage sitting around for two weeks before collection day, the report makes a few suggestions:
- Provision of a one-time subsidy to purchase an approved animal resistant storage container;
- Establishing a rent-to-own program for an approved animal resistant storage container;
- Subscribing to a collection service for a fee for seasonal residents only (for the week without garbage collection); and,
- Extending the landfill hours of operation to include Sundays during the summer hours, including the Walden Small Vehicle Waste Transfer Station.
The city also plans a major communications push ahead of October, which includes newsletters, newspaper and bus ads, social media, flyers and a “comprehensive web presence, including videos, photos, and updated information, and prominently featured on the city’s website starting in September 2016.”
City councillors will review the plan at their July 12 meeting. Read it in full here.
