The Garbage 411

First: Jenny is still looking for volunteers to line up for Canvassing with the Councillor on Monday and Thursday nights from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. We want to go door to door to build a list of community issues to in the Fall. If you are interested, call Jenny at 416-392-4038.

Re: Garbage!!!

There have been a number of newspaper articles since the Works Committee met last Wednesday and made three key decisions about waste collection. Let me try to package it all so that you can send me your input before we present these decisions to Council in the third week of July.

First off, enforcement was on the agenda, not as a new concept, but as a request for more staff to better enforce existing bylaws and existing fines. It has been a law for some time now, with provincial approval and a provincially approved fine, that Toronto residents must source separate to whatever extent is required in each region of the city. In North York for example, the City currently provides only a grey and blue box program. By law you are required to take part in those programs.

Staff have found that when bylaw officers spend time visiting offenders, explaining the programs and allowing time to begin to sort, only a very few continue to refuse and need to be fined the $130.00. Staff have simply asked for 6 extra officers to carry out these visits to increase compliance.

Secondly, we have proposed setting aside the Bag Tag program for now. We know that currently Torontonians drop an average of 2.1 bags every two weeks and with the inclusion of North York in the Green Bin program that average will go down even further. These figures show that you are already doing a great job. We voted that you don't need a Bag Tag program that is complicated to implement (at least 16 staff) but that you could live with a limit decrease after North York comes on stream with the full program. The reduction from 6 bags to 4 bags will be phased in over two years and will still leave the allowable limit well above average. Enforcement officers will continue to ensure separating at home.

And last but not least, waste collection in Multi-residential buildings has got to change. Works Committee has voted to delay implementation of charges for dumping above the average amount per building but are committed to helping tenants and their landlords increase diversion. Staff will deliver mock bills to building managers to let them know where they are in terms of how the new charges would affect them. They will also work with condo corps, condo boards, property management firms, landlords and tenant groups to develop waste diversion plans for buildings before implementing the Multi-Residential charges. The important thing to keep in mind is the 'Jenkins resolution' which states that buildings that keep within the allowable limit pay no extra charges.

All of this in short: We intend to beef up enforcement of existing City bylaws on recycling, we intend to reduce the number of green bags per single family dwelling but not for two years and we intend to increase apartment diversion but not until waste diversion plans can be worked out with landlords and condo corps. Call us at the office and let us know what you think or email me at councillor_carroll@toronto.ca