MONTREAL – Environmental issues, including what we do with our garbage in Greater Montreal, have been front and centre in 2015.
Two West Island communities are experimenting with different ways to reduce garbage, and it’s been met with mixed reviews.
Pointe-Claire is reducing the frequency of garbage collection to become more environmentally conscious. At year’s end, it says the plan has worked.
“Now we have an average of 2.5 pickups a week,” Mayor Morris Trudeau told Global Montreal. “Garbage every two weeks, recyclables every two weeks composting every week, and the amount that goes into a landfill. It’s unreal how much less there is than in the past.”
While some taxpayers welcome the switch, others are turning up their noses.
“It doesn’t take long for the garbage to smell,” Patti Reynolds said. “And I don’t like the big bins. They’re an eyesore. They make the city look like a garbage collection dump!”
Resident Lauren Tittley has a different view.
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“I’m actually a very big fan of garbage every second week, she said “I think it’s a great idea, it encourages you to compost more and so far it’s never been a problem.”
Beaconsfield Smart Bins
Neighbouring Beaconsfield has gone high tech with their garbage, equipping their bins with microchips.
“What the sensor serves for is to identify location, and of course the frequency that it’s picked up,” said Mayor Georges Bourelle, who denied the chips are used to spy on people.”This is used for billing,” he explained.
Beaconsfielder Bonnie Wenstop says she’s gotten accustomed to smart bins but she added that the billing system has created another problem.
“I’m actually concerned about people putting other people’s garbage in the garbage bins.”
The mayor says residents shouldn’t worry because they’re not billed by weight, but Wenstop says she’s already seen glitches.
“Filling up the dumpster one of my neighbours had that problem,” she said. “It wasn’t theirs, and they paid for it. And I can see people looking for places to dump their garbage now. It sounds ridiculous but it’s true.”
Resident Lauren Tittley admits that when temperatures go back to summer highs, less frequent garbage collection could get more interesting.
“I’m pregnant right now, I’ll have my first kid soon,” she said. “So I don’t know about the diapers, that’s something I haven’t encountered yet. I’m hoping it’s not a big issue.”
Only time will tell if the changes in these two communities will lead to more trash talk in 2016.
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