City of Hamilton wants residents to talk trash

Hamilton | Ontario | Latest News | Politics |

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Published January 7, 2020 at 5:52 pm

Weeks after shooting down the notion of bi-weekly garbage collections, the City of Hamilton is asking residents to talk trash.

Weeks after shooting down the notion of bi-weekly garbage collections, the City of Hamilton is asking residents to talk trash.

On Tuesday (Jan. 7) the city launched an online survey as part of its ‘Solid Waste Management Master Plan’ which will determine the future direction of waste minimization in Hamilton for the next 25 years, the city said in a press release.

“The survey will consider feedback from residents regarding waste reduction and waste diversion programs, including the use of the green bin program and Community Recycling Centres,” the release says.

The survey results will help inform the Solid Waste Management Master Plan and identify short-term activities that will support the early objectives of the plan over the next five years.

The plan, the release claims, will prioritize minimizing waste and extending the life of the Glanbrook Landfill.

This initiative comes just more than two months after Ward 8 councillor John-Paul Danko introduced a motion asking the city to explore the feasibility of establishing bi-weekly garbage collection in Hamilton in an effort to increase the city’s waste-diversion rate.

Hamilton’s waste-diversion rates — the rate that represents the amount of waste that is diverted from landfill for recycling — have remained stagnant over the last few years at between 40 to 50 per cent. Hamilton’s goal is actually 65 per cent.

With bi-weekly waste collection, Danko’s motion outlined, it’s estimated that the waste diversion rate could improve by approximately five per cent which could ultimately result in a savings of millions for taxpayers.

Despite an abundance of support from residents and community groups — which was voiced at a Public Works Committee meeting in November — the motion was voted down.

The online survey opens Tuesday and will be open until Friday, February 7, 2020, on the City of Hamilton website. All residents and business owners are encouraged to participate.

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