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County readies to reduce garbage bag limit and ‘double up days’

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In Council Watch
Apr 5th, 2017
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New Tecumseth Free Press

Simcoe County councillors are expected next week to approve recommendations that will reduce the total number of allowable residential garbage bags and or containers collected at curbside, to four – including three with tags. Currently the maximum is eight, including seven with tags.

The reduction is part of the County’s strategy to divert waste from its landfill and flowed from a February work shop on waste management. Changes would be effective in 2018. Over limit bags would be left at the curb with a sticker attached explaining why.

The cost to implement the reduction is an estimated one-time cost increase to the waste collection contract of $90,500 and a one-time increase in printing and mailing costs of approximately $4,000
A separate motion would eliminate Victoria Day and Thanksgiving weeks as “double-up days” – two untagged bags. The next collection following Christmas would remain.

“These two holidays do not result in significant quantities of waste requiring disposal,” according to the report to County council. “The Strategy Update noted that Thanksgiving, in particular, results in increased food waste which should be managed through the green bin program. Extra garbage disposal during this time provides no incentive to green bin participation.”

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