Waterloo Region mulls curbside waste collection changes

The region could be making changes to curbside waste collection in Waterloo Region, and officials want to know what you think about it. 

Those changes could include switching to a bi-weekly collection program, imposing a bag limit and bag tags. Homeowners who go over a proposed collection limit could buy the tags to allow them to put out more garbage bags. 

Cari Rastas-Howard, the program manager for waste collection in the region, says better green and blue bin use reduce the waste headed to local landfill. 

"We've done residential curbside audits that show that 53 per cent of the garbage going to the landfill could have been composted using the green bins, and another 14 per cent of the garbage still going to landfill, like paper and  containers, could have been recycled in the blue box," said Rastas-Howard.  "All of these resources are wasted when they're just buried in our landfill."

The region wants to divert more waste from the landfill not just for environmental minutes but because it will also save the public money.

"Well, anytime we can extend the life for our landfill, of course, we're putting off having to build another facility. Even just being able to put off the construction of the next section of our landfill, in the 15 to 20 years of capacity that we    have, it helps to save some money," said Rastas-Howard.

People are encouraged to take the curbside collection survey on the region of Waterloo's website.

The region will ask council to vote on a new program in spring, but it would be another two years before changes are made.