Zero Waste Simcoe backs user-pay plan

By Douglas Glynn Midland Free Press March 1 2011

Zero Waste Simcoe has endorsed the county’s decision to move to a full user-pay system for curbside garbage collection.

Gordon McKay, chair of the grassroots watchdog group, has described the decision as a “positive move.”

The current curbside system has a bag limit and the cost of collecting and taking the bags to a landfill is charged to homeowners through a waste-tax levy.

Under the new system – scheduled to begin in July 2012 – the tax levy on will be replaced by a tag on every bag of garbage put out to the curb.

People who generate very little garbage will no longer be subsidizing those who generate a lot, say county officials.

McKay says there are a number of issues yet to be decided, including the actual price for the tags and what will happen to households lacking the funds to afford tags.

A county waste management subcommittee is working on the mechanics of implementing the new system and will be reporting back to Corporate Services Committee with its recommendations.

“We will be watching the county to see how it addresses these matters,” Mckay said in a news release.

He said some people are concerned about illegal dumping, which he described as an “unfortunate part of any municipal waste system.”

McKay is optimistic that residents will support the new initiative because “reducing garbage is the right thing to do.”

 

News release from Zero Waste Simcoe February 26 2011

Local waste management watchdog Zero Waste Simcoe thinks this is a positive move by Simcoe County council. 

The current system provides for a garbage bag limit with the cost of collecting and landfilling those bags being charged to homeowners through a waste-tax levy 

Simcoe County’s new program, scheduled to begin in July 2012, will remove the tax levy associated with garbage collection and replace it with a tag on every bag of garbage put out to the curb. 

Under this method, residents will be taking responsibility for the garbage they produce. Those who generate very little garbage will no longer be subsidizing those who generate a lot.

“There are a number of issues yet to be decided” says Zero Waste Simcoe Chair, Gord McKay. “These include the actual price for the tags; what happens to households who may lack the funds to afford tags; and how to make sure that the bag tag revenue itself does not become an impediment to the County in reducing the amount of garbage. McKay says …..” we will be watching the County’s Waste Management Committee in the day’s ahead to see how they address these matters.”

Many wonder about roadside dumping.

In McKay’s opinion……. “illegal dumping is an unfortunate part of any municipal waste system. Studies have found that changing to a user pay system has a short term impact on illegal dumping that then reverts back to the original level”.  

Both Gord McKay and Midland Deputy Mayor, Stephan Kramp, are confident that residents will support the County’s new initiative and rise to the challenge “because reducing garbage is the right thing to do”.

User-pay programs have been implemented in around 60 Ontario municipalities including Oxford County, Wellington County, Stratford, Northumberland County, Quinte and Belleville.