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Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, May 30, 2007 3 GreenCart program would go Halton-wide Region plans major shakeup for trash collection MELANIE HENNESSEY Special to The IFP The Region's GreenCart program took a major step toward becoming a Halton-wide initiative last week. After hearing from several local residents and groups largely in favour of the program, the Region's planning and public works committee supported taking the GreenCart from a small pilot project to homes all across Halton. The motion also calls for weekly GreenCart and Blue Box collection and biweekly garbage collection with a six-bag limit. Currently garbage is collected weekly with a six-bag limit and recycling is picked up bi-weekly. If the resolution is approved by regional council today (Wednesday), it means residents throughout the region will have the opportunity to put their kitchen scraps out separately at the curb in a GreenCart for collection as early as next year. These scraps would then be turned into compost. Oakvillegreen, the newly formed Miltongreen and Halton Hillsbased Protect Our Water and Environmental Resources (POWER) all voiced their support for the GreenCart initiative at Wednesday's session. But, they weren't so happy with the six-bag BARBARA limit for garbage. HALSALL "We feel the garbage bag limit should not exceed two bags bi-weekly," said Gillian Earle of Miltongreen. "Garbage bags should also be clear and if recyclable material is visible in these bags they should not be collected." Oakvillegreen president Liz Benneian shared similar sentiments. "The see-through bags allow for the new community standard of recycling whatever possible to take effect, with neighbours being able to see what their neighbours are doing and community pressure leading people to adopt recycling to keep step," she said. Barbara Halsall noted that POWER also supports bi-weekly garbage pickup and weekly Blue Box and GreenCart collection. But, not everyone was so positive about the GreenCart. Jim Harding of the Milton Rural Residents Association told the committee that he recently drove around his neighbourhood, which is in the GreenCart pilot project, and saw that only 17 of the estimated 90 homes had their GreenCarts out. "It does raise concerns for me in terms of the participation rate," he said. Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette supports the region-wide GreenCart initiative and voted in favour of it at the Planning and Public Works meeting. Bonnette stressed that education is the key for the program to succeed and regions Proposed changes Garbage collection · Would move to bi-weekly pickup with a six-bag limit from the current weekly collection Blue Box collection · Would move to weekly collection from the current bi-weekly pickup GreenCart collection · Pilot project would go region-wide · Collection would be weekly Lee said while he supports any endeavour to keep organics out of the landfill, he's not comfortable with Crockett's explanation. "There are many areas in Halton that aren't suitable for this program," he said. Oakville Councillor Tom Adams put forward an amendment to the motion to include an option to reduce garbage to a three-bag limit in the future and have staff report back on the issue at the appropriate time. Many councillors around the table voiced their support for Adams' suggestion. A region-wide GreenCart program is expected to cost $6 million per year, or about $26.50 more for the average household based on a $300,000 assessment. Provided everything is given the goahead Wednesday by regional council, staff will then report back with an implementation strategy for the GreenCart in the fall. The strategy will also include a plan to introduce garbage bag tags for bags that exceed the limit of six. The timing of the program rollout hasn't been firmed up yet. Director of Waste Management Rob Rivers said the Region is gearing up for a new waste collection and processing contract that would start early next year, so a lot depends on economics and the contractor's ability to get the trucks needed for GreenCart collection. Staff will bring forward recommendations on the contract in the fall as well. If the Region chooses an aggressive timeline for the GreenCart it could be implemented by the end of 2008. The alternative would be to phase it in over the next few years. Rivers said if the initiative is adopted across Halton by 2010, it will increase the life of Halton's landfill by six to eight years. --With files from Lisa Tallyn, staff writer such as York, Durham and Hamilton, have "I view it a bit as resource management," been very successful with similar programs. said Fogal. "It's time to stop just throwing "We are presently at 43 per cent (diver- away our resources and burying them. It sion rate) and the life of our landfill is only makes more sense to capture the resource about 13 more years so this will extend our (compost) and reuse it." land fill by another eight years or so," said She believes there will have to be an eduBonnette. cational component when launching the He said at this point he does have a con- program. cern about requiring residents use only clear "But I think there is a willingness. The garbage bags. idea of the landfill sites filling up is some"I think there is a privacy issue as well as thing people are very aware of," said Fogal. sometimes the M i l t o n wrong piece of Ward 3 Couninformation cillor Jan Mowmay be put in bray also reby accident and ported that she someone may has been conget information tacted by a that doesn't considerable belong to number of resithem," said dents in her Bonnette. ward and the Wards 1&2 Regional Councillor Clark Somerville Wards 1/2 vast majority Regional are opposed to Councillor the GreenCart. Clark Somerville intends to support the iniShe also said while she doesn't necessaritiative at regional council for the urban area. ly have a problem with GreenCarts, she "We've got to do something. If we don't doesn't support them in her rural area do anything we're going to run out of land- because of the large amount of composters fill capacity by 2023," said Somerville. already there. But he said he isn't convinced the After hearing from the residents, the GreenCart system "is the best idea for the councillors in attendance at the committee rural area because most of those residents meeting further discussed the GreenCart. (already) compost." Milton Wards 1 and 3 Councillor Barry He said he has heard mixed opinions Lee asked if certain parts of municipalities from both rural and urban residents on the can be exempt from the program. program. Commissioner of Planning and Public On the clear bag issue Somerville said, "I Works Peter Crockett said while the issue of don't think we want to get into the garbage service levels is currently established at the police." local municipal level, staff is looking at Wards 3/4 Regional Councillor Jane whether the Region's waste bylaw should be Fogal said she will be supporting introduc- altered so those decisions are made by ing GreenCart region-wide. regional council. `We've got to do something. 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