Time for some trash talk in Norfolk County

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Norfolk County residents are likely to have a say in the way waste is to be collected locally in the years ahead.

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Time for some trash talk in Norfolk County Back to video

Council recently received a report outlining options for future waste collection strategies that could significantly change things from the status quo. Among the options council could consider include a reduction in the number of bags collected from each household, collecting waste only once every two weeks and introducing an organic waste disposal program.

With the county’s waste collection contracts needing to be addressed by the fall, it’s speculated Norfolk might conduct a survey to tap into public opinion about future waste collection.

There is no standard waste collection model in Ontario for all jurisdictions to follow. Garbage or recycling pickup isn’t necessarily done on a weekly basis everywhere. In some counties or regions, it’s done weekly while in other areas garbage is collected on a bi-weekly basis. Some jurisdictions force residents to tag their bags while others don’t. Some have limits on the number of bags that will be collected at any one time while others aren’t as strict.

Garbage collection has become a hot topic of late due to rapidly dwindling capacities at provincial landfills. In fact, most Ontario landfills have perhaps eight years at best before they reach capacity. The object is to divert as much waste from landfills as possible to stretch that timeframe as long as possible.

The introduction of an organic waste disposal program is one such measure. This is something we currently don’t have in Norfolk, but it’s a program that has long been in place in several other regions.

Kitchen scraps – vegetable peelings, eggshells, bones and other organic food items – are placed in a separate disposal bag and into a designated bin for curbside pickup. It may not seem like a lot in terms of total waste, but it adds up quickly when multiplied by thousands of households.

Here in Norfolk, organic kitchen waste is treated like any other garbage and is disposed of together with other landfill-bound waste. Some conscientious households have their own composting systems to keep organic waste separate from regular garbage, but I suspect most residents couldn’t be bothered.

A countertop pail is all it takes to keep organic waste separate from the rest, and it, recyclables and regular garbage can all be taken to the curb at one time in their respective bins.

A potential problem could arise if the county should choose to reduce its garbage pickup to once every two weeks and limit the number of bags that can be placed at curbside. One option or the other would be the practical solution, but combining both could lead to households buying the largest capacity bags possible or seeking out dumpsters to dispose of any bags that exceed a mandated limit. These dumpsters are usually located behind commercial establishments, and dumping into them simply creates a new problem, especially for the commercial business.

Waste will always be produced and collecting it will always be a necessary evil. The concept of recycling, which was introduced decades ago, has long since caught on and most households have adopted the measure. Strategies such as charging for bag tags, however, have the potential to backfire, possibly leading to some residents seeking out dumpsters or resorting to other questionable disposal tactics.

It will be interesting to see what local residents want if their opinions are sought.

Mike Jiggens is a Delhi resident.