Toronto's streetscape will change in 2008 in a way that will be evident on every residential street, at least on garbage collection day.
How? New bins are coming.
In fact, in Scarborough, some are already here. Big-wheeled blue bins, with the largest model able to hold up to six regular blue boxes, will be a common sight. And so will mandatory garbage bins, of various sizes, to hold non-recyclable trash. If all goes according to plan, residents' existing blue boxes and garbage cans will largely disappear.
It's all part of a promising effort to divert 70 per cent of Toronto's garbage from landfill by 2010. Each household will have to choose a blue bin (medium, large or extra-large) and a city-issued garbage bin (coming in four sizes). Other trash cans will no longer be allowed.
Residents will not be charged for the new containers, but an annual garbage collection user fee will be imposed, based on the size of the garbage bin that a household selects. Final costs will not be known until city council sets next year's budget, but choosing an extra-large garbage bin will likely cost about $150 a year. Those able to fit their non-recyclables into the smallest model would pay no fee.
The program is controversial because many residents, especially those with a large family, will face much higher garbage fees. But city officials claim that is the point. Stuff put in the big blue bins will be collected free-of-charge, so will organic materials stashed in green bins.
The new program is based on the same user-pay principle as a resident's electricity bill – the more landfill space you use, the more you pay. Open landfill has become a precious commodity, especially in southern Ontario, and applying a charge for consuming this resource should cut usage. Officials claim the new program is expected to extend the life of the city's Green Lane dump site until 2034 by diverting about 250,000 tonnes of waste each year.
Similar "pay as you throw" programs are in place in Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle.
The new bin program has a laudable goal, which is to reduce waste and protect the environment. However, many residents see the new garbage collection program as just another cash grab by city council, draining far more money from residents' pockets than really necessary to promote recycling.
What council must do is prove to the public that extra fees are going to a good cause. If that occurs, then there will be good reason to believe this program can achieve its goals.
5 comments:
How does the gov't know that you're placing the correct items in the correct containers?
You WILL see "garbage police" with this.
No joke, we have them here in my town!
oh you people who never leave your homes...
guess what. We *already* have garbage police and have had them for years. If put my garbage out at my business downtown in a regular garbage bag on the residential days, it will be a new york minute before I have a warning notice from the 'garbage police' in my mail threatening me with a nice size fine should I dare do that again. This has been true for some time. Nothing to do with Miller.
Good god people don't you already KNOW this already???????
I always though Canadians were polite.... ;)
Overall we are and most of the time to an extreme but like most groups we have our window shade commandos who have a need to try and bolster their self esteem and it is much easier to do so on the internet than at the local watering hole.....
Excellant!
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