Garbage bag limits: Are we ready to reduce?

Newmarket should cut the current three garbage bag/container per home limit to two bags/containers going to landfill sites, a staff report recommends. Up to five bags could still be put out but residents would pay $2.40 per bag over the limit. There is no limit on Green Bins or Blue Boxes.

What do you think? Are we ready to reduce?

In September, 2007 we launched our new Solid Waste Management Strategy: weekly pickup of Green Bin materials for composting and Blue Box contents for recycling with  bi-weekly pick-up of garbage going to landfill.

Community response has been outstanding. We have a diversion rate well above other municipalities’, including those that started a year earlier. An August 2008 audit of curb side collection at almost 1,000 homes revealed:

-  90% participated in the Blue Box Program

-  85% participated in the Green Bin Program

-  75% had less than 3 container/bags of garbage

-  Only 20% had 3 container/bags of garbage.

Pros and cons are:

Against reducing the limit:

1. It’s too soon to reduce the garbage bag limit. We only implemented the current schedule in September, 2007. People may not be willing to accept a further change in less than 2 years.
2. York Region is proposing to require biodegradable bags instead of non-biodegradable plastic bags for the Green Bin. Our change and York’s added cost (18¢ per bag) would create resistance to the program.
3. This would be an added cost for people who put out more than 2 containers/bags and we should wait until the economy improves.
4. The cost of garbage removal should be on a user pay basis by weight to be fair to seniors and others who seldom place more than 1 bag out for garbage.  Permitting everyone 2 free bags means they are covering part of the costs created by others. User fees by weight would also create an incentive for people to recycle more.

In favour of reducing the limit:

1. In Newmarket resident commitment to the environment is well ahead of the 3 bag limit established in 2002. Our community understands the importance of reducing garbage sent to landfill, and has responded resoundingly by improving our diversion rates through participation in the Green Bin and Blue Box programs.
2. The cost of biodegradable bags is good value in comparison to the environmental impact of plastic bags at landfill sites.
3. Three out of four people already place 2 bags or less out for collection. The new limits would reinforce the “New Reality” and encourage others to look more closely at what can be recycled or composted.
4. Reducing the limit is a step toward a more equitable user pay system. The cost to implement a user pay by weight approach would be prohibitive.

East Gwillimbury and King Township have had 2 free bag limits and Georgina a $1.00 per bag fee for a number of years.

I am eager to have the benefit of your views. Please let me know if you want to receive further updates from me as more information becomes available.