Garbage bin exchange options coming in New Year

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County Council has voted to expedite a cart exchange program for those who find their new waste collection bins are too large.

County warden George Cornell said in a statement that county councillors remain committed to the automated cart collection program and will provide cart size options. The county will begin accepting cart exchange requests in mid-January 2022, with deliveries anticipated to begin by the end of February. The program will provide residents with an opportunity to exchange their recycling and garbage carts for smaller options (with the smallest being the same size as the existing organics cart).

Warden said council decided to go ahead with the exchange program based on community feedback, rather than waiting for the results of a public survey and pilot project.

“We recognize that the move to automated cart collection is a substantial change, and we know that waste collection is a very valuable service to our residents. We want you to know that we’ve listened and responded to your input over the last few months,” said Cornell.

“Automated cart collection is extremely common, with the County’s cart manufacturer estimating that as many as 60-70 per cent of municipalities in Canada and the United States already use carts. The number of municipalities using carts is growing due to the labour challenges associated with manual waste collection. We’re leveraging the experiences of many other municipalities and making local adaptations to ensure the cart program is successful here in Simcoe County.”

Full details about exchanges will be communicated in January. Residents are asked to hold exchange requests until the system is in place early next year.

“As we wait for the exchange program to begin, please use this time to experience the new carts and confirm your household’s waste needs before deciding whether to switch size,” said Cornell. “Based on data from other jurisdictions, we expect fewer exchanges after residents have experienced using the carts. With a 20-year life span, any exchanged carts will be repaired and put back into the system as replacements.”

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