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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, April 21, 2010 · 4 FESTIVAL AND OPEN HOUSE 798 GreenCart boosts landfill's lifespan By Tim Foran METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUP A once-a-year opportunity to see Sheridan's best Sheridan is Canada's largest art school with a reputation for excellence and innovation. · Full-time programs across a full range of artistic disciplines ­ including photography, animation, and art and art history · Theatre Sheridan ­ six productions a year in two theatres · The Gallery ­ rotating exhibits that show off our best student and faculty work · Continuing education courses ­ ceramics, glass-blowing, furniture design and more Halton has added nine years to its landfill's lifespan thanks to almost 100 per cent of eligible residents using their GreenCarts. "I think that's a pretty amazing feat in terms of having the community buy in to what's a fairly substantial change to how they deal with their waste," said Regional Councillor Tom Adams, chair of Halton's planning and public works committee. "It is estimated the landfill will reach capacity in 2032," states Halton's 2009 Year End Waste Management report, reviewed by council April 14. That's two years longer than predicted last year and nine years longer than expected before the GreenCart's introduction in 2008. "It gives us more breathing room in terms of having to deal with that very tricky issue of do you have another landfill or do you have to enter that debate again about incinerators or do you have to truck it somewhere else," said Adams. "Halton residents placed their GreenCart out for collection each week 72 per cent of the time and their Blue Box out for collection 93 per cent of the time," states the staff report. "Interestingly, over a four-week period, the participation rate for residents who place their GreenCart out for collection at least once...rose to almost 95 per cent in 2009, which is up from about 84 per cent in 2008." That participation has come despite the occasional complaints from parents of young children that diapers are only collected bi-weekly along with the regular garbage. "I am a new parent myself and I have never had a problem," said Adams. "When we introduced it (the GreenCart), I had two kids fully in diapers and a third kid at the time was just exiting. We went through the summertime period just as everybody else has and we kept our material in a cool, shady place in the garage. "The good news is, kids grow up and so it's an issue you have to deal with temporarily as you move through those years of your life. But I don't think that's a thing that kills the concept or makes it so bad you've got to go backwards." Halton has almost, but not quite, reached the targets regional council set in its 2006-2010 Solid Waste Management Strategy. That included a goal to divert 60 per cent of waste away from the landfill. While residential curbside waste collection program has achieved that, the overall waste diversion rate, including local businesses and institutions, was 57.4 per cent in 2009, a one per cent increase over 2008. Regional staff also predicted regular participation in weekly Blue Box and GreenCart programs would reduce household garbage by approximately 50 per cent. There was a 48 per cent reduction from 2007 to 2009. "The composition of the garbage bag changed significantly, showing a 47 per cent decrease in Blue Box recyclables and a 75 per cent reduction in GreenCart organics," states the staff report. The Region is in the midst of expanding its GreenCart program. Almost 100 per cent of the townhouses that receive curbside waste collection -- some that are technically condominiums have to pay for private collection -- can now participate. All Catholic and French schools in Halton and 30 of the almost 100 public schools also recycle organic waste. The Region has no plan of rolling out the GreenCart program to apartments and condominiums until 2011. Though those facilities pay for waste collection on property taxes, many still have to pay for private waste collection. The Region has no plan to expand the GreenCart program to local business improvement areas, where the municipality currently does garbage and blue box collection. Nor does it plan to expand the program to other businesses, including restaurants, outside local BIAs. "Currently, the ICI (industrial/commercial/institutional) sector is responsible through Provincial regulation for obtaining their own services and developing their own waste diversion plans," works staff explained in an e-mail last Thursday afternoon. OPEN HOUSE & CRAFT SALE Saturday, May 1, 2010 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Trafalgar Road Campus, 1430 Trafalgar Road, Oakville $139. Includes Delivery within zones Free admission and parking TK2140 You call - we deliver, even if you're not home.TM artsfestival.sheridaninstitute.ca