Collingwood residents will only be able to put out one bag of garbage for curbside pickup as of Sept. 29, but a new green bin organic waste program should alleviate any problems according to county officials.
"We are picking up the same amount of garbage, we are just picking it up differently," said Wilma Bureau, collections supervisor from Simcoe County.
Bureau and Rob McCullough, manager of environmental services made a presentation to Collingwood Council on Monday to discuss new waste diversion programs.
The county will be dropping off green bins to homes across the Georgian Triangle, which will be used for household food waste. The bin is placed out at the curb with recyclable items and garbage bags.
Items that can be placed in the green bins include meat, fish, coffee grinds and filters, egg shells, sawdust, greasy pizza boxes, popcorn bags, tissues, and paper coffee cups.
"If you can eat it, it can go into the bin," Bureau said.
She said any plastic, diapers and pet waste are not to be put into the bin.
In conjunction with the organic waste collection, the county has added more items that can be recycled including spiral wound containers (frozen juice), milk cartons, juice cartons and tetra pack containers.
McCullough said the program comes on the heels of a pilot program in Adjala-Tosorontio, which saw waste diversion rise to about 55 per cent.
McCullough said the reason for the one bag garbage limit is that with the new organics collection and the recycling program, residents aren't likely to need more than one bag. He predicts residents who follow the program will have about three kilograms or less of garbage each week.
"A lot of the weight is in the organics," he said. "
McCullough said there will be double-up days after Victoria Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, where residents can put out two bags of garbage. Also additional bag tags will be available.
He said residents will be getting a new waste collection calendar that outlines the new program.
For more information, click the link provided.
