Residents and stakeholders shared many ideas for improving curbside collection and increasing waste diversion. Below is a short summary of what the City heard about the three main waste streams; further detail can be found in the attachments.

Garbage

A small majority (approximately 60%) of residents who participated in engagement activities demonstrated support for a Pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) approach based on cart size and/or collection frequency (not by weight). A vocal minority (about 30%) expressed strong opposition, while a third group were uncertain or had further questions.

Supportive residents were interested in PAYT for three main reasons: the diversion incentive, opportunity for individual cost control, and higher standard of accountability for all residents. Many participants expressed interest in choosing their cart size.

Residents (both supportive and opposed) were very concerned about the potential for PAYT to cause illegal dumping in their carts and in the alleys, ditches, and surrounding areas. The second highest concern was that a utility would be “double-dipping” or a “tax grab”, on top of property taxes. Other frequently cited concerns included: affordability, fairness (larger families, medical waste, secondary suites, and tenants), variable waste volumes, contamination risk, and preference for waste to remain on the mill rate.

A large number of residents expressed a preference for moving to bi-weekly garbage collection all year, once the organics program is introduced.

Organics

Over 80% of participants expressed clear support for a City-Wide Organics Program. Those who were opposed to the program primarily disliked the additional cost and cart, or were existing backyard composters who disliked mandatory collection.

The majority of participants preferred co-mingled (food and yard waste together) collection in a single green cart. This was primarily due to greater convenience and in order to have sufficient capacity for grass, leaves, branches, and garden waste. Participants were not in favour of approaches that required yard waste to be bagged. About half of residents engaged suggested an interest in weekly collection, depending on the cart capacity and the season. Many suggested a schedule of weekly collection from spring to fall and biweekly in the winter.

The top five concerns about the Organics Program are: cleanliness, convenience, program cost, finding space for a third cart, and fairness (for those with backyard composters, small yards, townhouses, or limited food waste).

Recycling

Many participant comments indicated an interest in weekly collection when asked what could improve about their current service level. However, a large majority of respondents preferred to maintain large carts collected bi-weekly when they were presented with a weekly collection scenario.

For further context, in the 2017 Waste Awareness and Behaviour Survey conducted by Insightrix Research, 94% of respondents were somewhat or very satisfied with the cart capacity, and 92% were somewhat or very satisfied with the frequency of collection.

    Online Survey

   The online survey was conducted between February 12 and March 4, 2018.   

1. A Pay as You Throw (PAYT) utility based on cart size variability is expected to incentivise residents to reduce the amount of garbage they generate by wasting less and diverting more (through composting and recycling), as well as giving residents control over their costs.

2. Implementing PAYT using variable cart sizes was determined to be the most intuitive solution, and therefore, most likely to be adopted by residents. It is also simple to implement from an operational perspective and can be completed within the timelines identified.

3. A mandatory, co-mingled green cart for year-round collection of food and yard waste provides the highest waste diversion potential (estimated at 26,000 tonnes). It is anticipated that resident use of the cart will have high adoption, as it is easy to use (no separation of food and yard waste) and understand. It also provides adequate capacity for all property types.

4. Implementing organics and PAYT together will ensure residents have control over their costs by providing residents with opportunities to divert organic waste and choose a smaller garbage cart for a lower fee.

5. Customer satisfaction with the existing recycling service is very high (over 90% satisfaction rate), and changes are unlikely to result in increased diversion or satisfaction.

6. Administration intends to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) in Summer 2018 to establish the organics processing capacity required by a city-wide program.  Further information about this aspect of the program will be provided in a report to Committee in advance of a recommended award.

7. The Administration continues to consider program implications associated with ability-to-pay, special service options for those with mobility challenges, home composters or those with minimal yard waste, and small properties. Reports on these topics will be provided beginning in September.

A PAYT utility based on cart size variability is expected to incentivise residents to reduce the amount of garbage they generate by wasting less and diverting more (through composting and recycling), as well as giving residents control over their costs.

For more information on PAYT, please see the Fact Sheet.

A mandatory, co-mingled green cart for year-round collection of food and yard waste provides the highest waste diversion potential (estimated at 26,000 tonnes). It is anticipated that resident use of the cart will have high adoption, as it is easy to use (no separation of food and yard waste) and understand. It also provides adequate capacity for all property types. 

For information on Organics, please see the Fact Sheet.

What is a Pay-as-You-Throw (PAYT) Utility?

PAYT is a practice where residents are charged for the amount they throw away on their utility bill (just like water or power). These charges will be based on cart size or frequency, not weight.

PAYT solves multiple problems

By transferring the cost of waste management from property taxes to actual usage fees as a utility (based on the size of cart or frequency, not weight), we will create a system which rewards recycling and composting:

• This will help us produce less garbage
• Residents will have more control making it more equitable
• Costs will be visible and more sustainable

The Pay-as-you-throw Fact Sheet is available with more information.

What is City-Wide Organics?

Under a city-wide mandatory organics program, food is collected at the curb for all households. Collected material is processed into a valuable product. Food scraps, yard waste and soiled paper would all be included. Pet waste and diapers could also be considered.

Win big with mandatory organics

By removing organic material from the landfill, we can reduce the effects of harmful leachate (liquid from garbage) and greenhouse gas emissions that are released when organics are buried in the landfill. Organics that are processed properly (such as through composting) can be turned into a valuable product or even generate electricity.

The Organics Fact Sheet is available with more information.