New garbage collection downtown will help keep streets clean
Beginning April 4, 2016, wheeled cart waste collection will be implemented in commercial and Business Improvement Areas across Halton Region. That includes downtown Burlington.
Garbage and recyclable material will be collected from wheeled carts provided by Halton Region in March. Plastic garbage bags and blue boxes placed at the curb will no longer be collected.
The change is expected to reduce litter from plastic bags that are torn open before garbage pickup, strewing contents across the street. Business Improvement Areas will continue to receive twice weekly garbage and recyclable material collection.
Garbage collection in commercial areas will go from twice a week to once a week. Staff report that twice a week garbage collection discourages efforts to recycle. Once a week collection of garbage is expected to increase recycling by an estimated 25 percent and may reduce collection costs by approximately 35 percent.
The wheeled cart collection service is expected to cost $800,000 for 12,000 carts, offset by savings of $240,000 for the change from twice- to once-weekly garbage collection in non-BIA commercial areas.
Regional Council (which includes all members of Burlington City Council) approved the changes in July. For more information, read the staff report recommending the changes.
Halton Region Wheeled Cart Collection
November 6, 2015 @ 4:16 pm
What about the trees along the beach strip. May of them would also need to be cleared under this new regulation.
November 6, 2015 @ 4:14 pm
This is great. Walking the downtown on garbage day morning, it’s easy to spot the handy work of racoons and skunks on the plastic bags left out by the curb.
Only one question. Why is it the cities’ responsibility to provide the bins? Shouldn’t the by-law have been written that if you want your garbage picked up, get a proper sealed bin?