Change is difficult, especially when it involves altering long-standing habits and familiar appearances. So it is no wonder that some residents in Toronto's older, downtown neighbourhoods are upset by oversized blue bins going out across the city.
The mammoth new bins pose an obvious problem for people lacking a driveway or access to a backyard, for those living in row housing, or for seniors who find them difficult to handle.
The resulting complaints have been loud and often highly emotional. But the debate requires some perspective.
The bins are going out to half a million Toronto households. That distribution is more than half done; yet city officials say they have received about 1,000 complaints, or less than one for every 250 bins.
Many residents, in fact, welcome these containers. For those living outside the city centre, in areas where storage is less of an issue, the wheeled bins end a need to deploy several of the old blue boxes on collection day. In addition, because the bins have lids, they prevent recyclable waste from blowing away in windy weather.
This is not to dismiss the concerns of downtowners. Many do have legitimate complaints stemming from lack of space for huge containers. But city officials are striving to respond to those concerns on a house-by-house basis.
When it became apparent that all three sizes of the new blue bin were too large for many downtowners, the city responded by developing a fourth, smaller bin. These should be available, on a wide scale, this summer. Meanwhile, mobile crews are visiting unhappy residents, showing them prototypes of the smallest new bin, and working to accommodate individual needs.
There is considerable flexibility here. For example, a resident may opt for two small bins rather than a single large one. Or two neighbours may opt to share a single container. Some residents are exploring the option of using the same bin for recycling as for regular garbage, but on alternating weeks. And, if all else fails, residents may forgo the new bins altogether and put their recyclable material out in clear recycling bags.
It is telling that, despite loud complaints, so far only about 200 households have opted to ditch their bins in favour of bags.
As of last week, about 500 requests for individual attention had come in, and more than 300 residents had been visited by a mobile blue bin response unit, generally with positive results. The demand for this service means it takes two to three weeks for a new caller to receive a visit. Hence the need for patience.
Toronto is in the early stages of a revolution in disposal of garbage. In the past, the city sent far more waste to landfill than it diverted. The new blue bins, and the accompanying "pay as you throw" system to be introduced later this year, are meant to reverse that ratio and divert 70 per cent of waste from landfill by 2010. Revolutionary change is never easy but in this case at least the goal is worthwhile.
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