Waterloo Region considers a chop in amount of garbage people can take to curb

Waterloo Region says it is considering a reduction in the number of garbage bags or bins that residents are allowed to put at the curb.

Currently the maximum number of garbage bags or bins residents are allowed to put to the curb every second week sits at four, but that number could shrink to three in October.

“When we look at how to reduce the amount of waste going to  the landfill, it’s not only about collecting less garbage but also maximizing the amount of materials being diverted through the use of blue boxes, green bins, and our yard waste program,” Jon Arsenault, director waste management services, stated.

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The region says it recently conducted an audit in 15 different collection areas which showed that 88 per cent of area residents were already meeting the potential new standard of three.

It says that since it introduced the four-bag limit back in 2017, it saw organic waste collection (the green bin) grow by 170 per cent while blue box recycling also grew by five per cent.

In addition, the amount of garbage collected also fell by 26 per cent.

“Sometimes, we get into old habits and just throw recyclables and organics into the garbage. By taking a few extra minutes, we can all reduce the amount of garbage we place at the,” Arsenault said.