WINNIPEG, MB - August 7, 2012 - As of today, all residents formerly served by AutoBins are receiving the new recycling and garbage collection services, including a new collection day, which will normally be the same day each week. Recycling and garbage carts will be emptied every week of the year and yard waste will be collected once every two weeks from April to November, on the same day of the week that garbage and recycling carts are emptied.
About 400 to 500 of the large metal shared community garbage bins (AutoBins) in the northwest area are being removed each day. It is expected that all of the AutoBins that served single-family homes will be off the streets by early next week. Removal began on July 25, 2012. The bins are being recycled in Manitoba.
The new collection services will start the first week of October for residents in all other areas of the city. Until then, these residents will continue to have recycling and garbage picked up as they did before.
Emterra, the collector for the City's new recycling and garbage collection services in this area, is using their existing fleet of recycling trucks to pick up both garbage and recycling until their new trucks arrive from the manufacturer in September. Emterra is emptying garbage carts in the morning, and then returning to empty recycling carts in the afternoon. As usual, all materials collected from the blue recycling carts are delivered to the recycling processing facility.
Each single-family home in the AutoBin area has received:
- one 240-litre garbage cart (holds about three standard-size garbage bags),
- one 240-litre recycling cart (holds about four-standard size blue boxes),
- two complimentary compostable yard waste bags - paper bags are one of the types of acceptable containers for yard waste, along with any reusable container without a lid and cardboard boxes (yard waste in plastic bags will not be collected),
- a user guide with full program details, and
- a calendar highlighting all the collection days until the end of 2013.
Residents can use their old blue boxes as yard waste containers. A one-day collection service will be scheduled later this year for those residents who would prefer to have them picked up by the City and recycled.
Residents with a smartphone or tablet can now get instant access to information on Winnipeg's garbage and recycling services right at their fingertips with the new My Waste app.
Residents can download the free app by visiting:
- winnipeg.ca/mywaste
- Apple or Android app stores
Residents can also get information on Winnipeg's garbage and recycling services:
- by visiting winnipeg.ca/waterandwaste
- by contacting 311, open 24 hours every day, by phone at 311 or by email at 311@winnipeg.ca.
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 services for residents, with more opportunities to reduce and recycle. With a current diversion rate of only 15 per cent (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 per cent.