London city councillor asking for holiday tweak to garbage pickup schedule

A London city councillor is calling for a small change to the city’s garbage pickup rules.

The current regulations don’t allow for trash to be picked up on statutory holidays.

Ward 10 councillor Virginia Ridley says with two statutory holidays on the Easter weekend, some homeowners are going 12 days without garbage pickup.

“The majority of Londoners, and we’ve studied it, only put out one or two containers,” Ridley said. “But we recognize that there are different family structures. This has been brought to my attention by someone who has three generations of family living in one home.”

Ridley continued, explaining that during the Easter weekend, Londoners entertain and host guests, therefore more waste is created.

Normally, London residents can put out no more than three containers of garbage for pickup. That limit is waived right after Christmas, in September, after Thanksgiving, and for spring cleanup.

What Ridley is proposing would allow residents to put out an extra container on days when there have been two or more statutory holidays in one cycle.

She also noted that director of environment, Jay Stanford, suggested pushing the spring cleanup collection until after Easter.

“It seems like staff are agreeable to that,” Ridley said.

A letter with the recommendations will head to the Civic Works Committee next Tuesday, April 17.