Waste review on hold over greenhouse gas reduction concerns
City was poised to punt compost collection to the curb for at least another year
A City of Winnipeg plan to review waste collection is on hold over concerns about the city's greenhouse gas reduction commitments.
Winnipeg's water and waste department is recommending a citywide waste collection review that won't be finished until 2018. The review would encompass existing city garbage and recycling collection and would also lead to recommendations about the collection of household organic waste, says a report to the council's water and waste committee.
If the review goes ahead, the city will not begin planning for compost collection to begin until 2018.
Council's water and waste committee voted on Monday to hold off on the review after chair Brian Mayes (St. Vital) said delaying curbside organic waste collection — a measure expected to reduce methane emissions at the Brady Road landfill — may hamper the city's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Home compost collection will cost Winnipeggers more green, mayor says
- Opposition to Winnipeg organic waste pickup grows
- Compost pickup to start in January, thanks to a Winnipeg non-profit group
In 2016, the city proposed an organic waste collection program that would cost the average household $55 to $100 a year. Consultations were proposed but placed on hold.
Water and waste director Moira Geer told the water and waste committee on Monday that there was no point conducting consultations until the city develops an overall strategy.
The committee nonetheless voted 3-1 to put off a decision on the review, with Coun. Ross Eadie (Mynarski) voting in opposition. In 2016, Eadie was among the councillors most strongly opposed to compost pickup.