Recycling Issues

[MidTowner]

I think it’s a good move. All of the potential complaints an individual household might have about biweekly service (insufficient storage space; odours; attracting vermin) can be mitigated through greater use of the blue bin. And four-bag limit is extremely generous. I wonder when it will drop to two.

I wonder also if we’ll find out that larger green bins are required (other jurisdictions use larger bins than ours).

[timc]

I think it’s a good move. All of the potential complaints an individual household might have about biweekly service (insufficient storage space; odours; attracting vermin) can be mitigated through greater use of the blue bin. And  four-bag limit is extremely generous. I wonder when it will drop to two.

I wonder also if we’ll find out that larger green bins are required (other jurisdictions use larger bins than ours).

IIRC, it's a four-bag limit, and you can buy tags if you need to go over the limit, and every household will get a certain number of free tags per year that they can use. Also, the Region may have special weeks set aside where people are allowed to put out more garbage, such as around the holidays. And there will be special exemptions for people who need it. The system is very generous.

[nms]

On a related note, I wonder how much Waste Management will shrink in the Region now that they don't have the waste management contract? Perhaps the successful bidder will simply buy out the WM fleet (and employees)?

[KevinL]

WM could still be doing non-residentail collection, and also operate their own private facilities. They won't be leaving the region completely.

[tomh009]

I think it’s a good move. All of the potential complaints an individual household might have about biweekly service (insufficient storage space; odours; attracting vermin) can be mitigated through greater use of the blue bin. And  four-bag limit is extremely generous. I wonder when it will drop to two.

I wonder also if we’ll find out that larger green bins are required (other jurisdictions use larger bins than ours).

The odours are really a non-issue once you start fully using the green bin.  We would often skip a week or two of garbage pickup (when we lived in a house), but we would always have the green bin out.

I think the current size works easily for most families, but larger families that throw out more food might need a larger one.  We have two people and a cat (the latter generates more green bin content than a person because of kitty litter) and our bin would almost always be well less than half full.

[BuildingScout]

I think the current size works easily for most families, but larger families that throw out more food might need a larger one.  We have two people and a cat (the latter generates more green bin content than a person because of kitty litter) and our bin would almost always be well less than half full.

Exactly: the blue boxes are small and full on empty containers, the green bins are relatively small too, so in the end is all mostly for show. Have a look at the typical household: the majority of the garbage stream by weight is of the non-recyclable type.

[tomh009]

I think the current size works easily for most families, but larger families that throw out more food might need a larger one.  We have two people and a cat (the latter generates more green bin content than a person because of kitty litter) and our bin would almost always be well less than half full.

Exactly: the blue boxes are small and full on empty containers, the green bins are relatively small too, so in the end is all mostly for show. Have a look at the typical household: the majority of the garbage stream by weight is of the non-recyclable type.

For us, definitely more recycling than garbage.  Even when we did put out the garbage (every 2-3 weeks), we would normally have less than a black bagful.

But I expect we are pretty far from typical in this regard.

[mpd618]

On a related note, I wonder how much Waste Management will shrink in the Region now that they don't have the waste management contract?  Perhaps the successful bidder will simply buy out the WM fleet (and employees)?

Kind of surprisingly, the contract stipulates brand new vehicles. That's part of why it's being awarded so far ahead of implementation - to allow enough lead time for vehicle procurement.

[MidTowner]

The odours are really a non-issue once you start fully using the green bin.  We would often skip a week or two of garbage pickup (when we lived in a house), but we would always have the green bin out.

I think the current size works easily for most families, but larger families that throw out more food might need a larger one.  We have two people and a cat (the latter generates more green bin content than a person because of kitty litter) and our bin would almost always be well less than half full.

This has largely been my experience. I can't think of anything I throw out that produces odours that isn't acceptable in the green bin.

The surveys that the Region did last year show that very few families will be inconvenienced by these changes in even a minor way. Even when the bag limit is eventually reduced to two biweekly, most won't even have to change their behaviour, and for those who will have to, I think the alternatives are not difficult.

[Andy]

Diapers aren't accepted in the green bin. One thing I can think of that would produce quite an odour . Also, although pet waste is accepted, I imagine a lot of people don't put their pet waste in the green bin (since they have them in individual plastic bags usually).

[MidTowner]

Diapers are for sure one exception! I have kids in diapers- the throw-away kind have gotta go into an air-tight container straight away for sure.

I know people with cats and other animals who dump each bag straight in the green bin. I wonder how many people do this versus the garbage.

[JoeKW]

Diapers are accepted in Toronto green bins, it would be nice if they were accepted here although I'm not sure what happens to them when they get to the facilities.

All this talk of bag limits makes me wonder, what kind of bag? What size of bags are we talking about?

[tomh009]

I know people with cats and other animals who dump each bag straight in the green bin. I wonder how many people do this versus the garbage.

Kitty litter scooped into a paper lunch bag, then dropped into the green bin.  Easy peasy!

Now that we are in a condo, kitty litter is sadly going into the landfill, though.

[timc]

Diapers aren't accepted in the green bin. One thing I can think of that would produce quite an odour . Also, although pet waste is accepted, I imagine a lot of people don't put their pet waste in the green bin (since they have them in individual plastic bags usually).

You can buy compostable bags for dog poop.

[NotStan]

Diapers aren't accepted in the green bin. One thing I can think of that would produce quite an odour . Also, although pet waste is accepted, I imagine a lot of people don't put their pet waste in the green bin (since they have them in individual plastic bags usually).

You can buy compostable bags for dog poop.

I was told by an expert in the field that the compostable bags are not acceptable for the green bin - they apparently don't meet the requirements of the green bin program.