Easier for Winnipeggers, Better for our environment
WINNIPEG - April 26, 2012 - Winnipeg residents will receive collection service every week of the year, and collection days will be easier to remember as the collection schedule changes to a set weekday schedule. This is one of several improvements residents will notice this year as the City of Winnipeg introduces automated garbage and recycling collection and curbside yard waste collection services for single-family homes.
These enhanced services, part of a waste minimization strategy approved by City Council in October 2011, are designed to significantly boost Winnipeg's low diversion rate by providing uniform and equitable garbage collection service for residents, together with more opportunities to reduce and recycle. With a current diversion rate of only 15% (one of the lowest in Canada), it is expected that Winnipeggers could significantly reduce the amount of material that goes to our landfill by more than 50%.
New set weekday collection
Residents will get their garbage and recycling carts emptied every week of the year and should find it easier to remember their collection day. A set weekday collection schedule will replace the current five-day collection cycle. Residents will be assigned a collection day (e.g., every Tuesday) that will remain the same throughout the year, except for the weeks with Remembrance Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day, when collection will shift over one day for residents with a collection day falling on or after the holiday. For example, Christmas Day and New Year's Day this year fall on Tuesday, so Tuesday's collection will move to Wednesday, Wednesday's collection will move to Thursday, Thursday's collection will move to Friday, and Friday's collection will move to Saturday for that week only.
Delivery of new garbage and recycling carts starting June 2012
The garbage cart holds about three standard size garbage bags and the recycling cart holds about four standard size blue boxes. It will take four months to deliver 320,000 carts to all single-family homes (7 units or less):
- Recycling carts will be delivered in June to residents in the northwest area that already have garbage carts and receive automated garbage collection service
- Recycling and garbage carts delivered to AutoBin area from end of June to middle of July
- Recycling and garbage carts delivered to remainder of city starting in North Kildonan and working clockwise, ending in Charleswood
New collection service in effect for all single-family homes by first week in October 2012
The new collection service for garbage, recycling and yard waste will start the first week of August for residents in the AutoBin area and the first week of October for residents in all other areas of the city.
New curbside yard waste collection services start at same time as new garbage and recycling collection services
In addition to garbage and recycling cart collection, the City will be introducing curbside yard waste collection to provide residents an easy and convenient way to recycle their grass clippings and yard waste throughout the growing season. Once every two weeks from April to November, residents can put their yard waste at the curb on their collection day, and the yard waste will be collected and composted. This program has the potential to keep 25,000 tonnes of organic material out of the landfill each year.
Information package explaining new garbage and recycling services
A user guide will be provided with the carts and will outline all the details of the new garbage and recycling services, including a calendar highlighting all the collection days. Information will also be available on the City's website at winnipeg.ca after the May long weekend.