West Toronto's trash pickup goes private next week

Garbage pickup in Toronto's west will be carried out by a private contractor as of next week, fulfilling a key promise of Mayor Rob Ford.

Next week private trash collector Green For Life of Pickering, Ont., will handle all routes between Yonge Street and the Humber River — about 165,000 homes in all. 

The firm bid $186.4 million for the contract, averaging $17.4 million per year. That bid was less than those submitted by three other eligible, larger companies.

City staff estimate the contract will save Toronto $78.4 million over its seven-year span and $11.9 million in its first year.

A private company already picks up residential garbage in Etobicoke.

At its facilty in Etobicoke, Green For Life has 90 new trucks set to hit the streets next week and 600 trucks across the province to draw on.

"If we need to draw from those resources, we will to ensure that we can get that material collected," Brian Kent of GFL said.

Rob Orpin, the city's director of solid-waste collection, said residents may see their garbage picked up a little later in the day.

"The collection of the material may be slightly different now with the contractor then with [what] city forces did, but it will be collected that day," he said.

Orpin said city supervisors will deal with the company on a daily basis to make sure they are picking up what they are supposed to pick up and dealing with customer service complaints.

Orpin said can still call 311 if they have any issues.