NEW GARBAGE CAN INFORMATION

 
New garbage/recycling carts and programs to get to 70% diversion
from landfill
What is the cost breakdown for the different sizes of garbage carts the City will
offer residents living in residential houses?
The smallest cart (75 litres) will cost less than $209 per year, which is the current cost of
providing solid waste management services to the average residential house. All houses in the
city will receive a rebate of $209 per year so those opting for the smallest container (75-litre) will
not owe any money on their new bill. Houses that choose a larger bin will pay the difference of
the cost of their new bin minus $209. The actual cost for each of the carts will be determined
based on the results of a pilot and brought forward to Council as part of the 2008 budget
process.
Approximate costs are as follows:
 75-litre (one bag) - less than $209 (no charge on bill)
 120-litre (1.5 bags) - approximately $250 ($250 minus $209 = $41 on bill)
 240-litre (3 bags) - approximately $310 ($310 minus $209 = $101 on bill)
 360-litre (4.5 bags) - approximately $360 ($360 minus $209 = $151 on bill)
An equivalent program will be put in place for multi-unit residential dwellings.
How will residents be charged?
Residential households and property owners of multi-unit residential buildings will receive a new
combined Toronto Water/Solid Waste bill. The Solid Waste cost portion will show charges based
on how much garbage the home/building generates.The smallest cart (75 litres) will cost less
than $209 per year, which is the current cost of providing solid waste management services to
the average residential house. All houses in the city will receive a rebate of $209 per year so
those opting for the smallest container (75-litre) will not owe any money on their new bill. Houses
that choose a larger bin will pay the difference of the cost of their new bin minus $209. The
actual cost for each of the carts will be determined based on the results of a pilot and brought
forward to Council as part of the 2008 budget process.
Will residents continue to pay for these services via their taxes plus receive a bill?
No, residents will only pay for solid waste services on the new direct bill. Because the current
costs for solid waste services are collected as part of property taxes and cannot easily be
removed from the property tax bill, every household/multi-unit building will receive an annual
rebate equal to the average amount collected through the tax bill. Home owners will put the $209
yearly rebate towards paying for their individual household’s solid waste service charges. If
using the smallest cart, there will be no additional cost.
For multi-unit buildings with rental tenants, the building property owner will get an annual grant of
approximately $157 per unit applied against charges incurred by the building. Condo properties,
whose bills are typically made out to the condo corporation, will also see a grant of $157 per unit
on their bill, which will offset charges incurred by the condo building.
What if I go on vacation or otherwise don't set out trash?
Residents will choose a cart size and be charged an annual rate whether they set out the cart
or not, similar to the current situation where you pay for solid waste services as part of your tax
bill.
What if I don’t produce 75 litres of trash every two weeks?

The smallest cart size available is 75 litres. If a resident chooses, the cart need only be placed
out for collection when full.
Why charge a volume-based rate for solid waste services/programs?
Funding is needed to pay for the planned new diversion activities required to reach 70 per cent
diversion by 2010. This comprehensive plan will divert an additional 250,000 tonnes of waste
from landfill annually, extending the life of our landfill until 2034. The rate charged will now vary
according to how much garbage is put out for collection. Linking costs to volume of garbage
means residents who reduce garbage will pay less.
How much money is needed to fund getting to 70 per cent diversion?
The City needs to cover off the existing cost of solid waste programs and services, which is
approximately $183.5 million a year, plus pay for the expansion of diversion initiatives, which is
estimated to be an additional cost of $54 million annually.
What will the money received via the new Toronto Water/Solid Waste bill pay for?
There are a wide variety of expanded diversion initiatives proposed, many of which are
interdependent and would need to be implemented simultaneously. Some examples of what the
payments will help fund include:
 Expanding the Green Bin Program to apartments and condominiums
 Establishing a series of Reuse Centres and curbside collection of durable goods
 Providing recycling carts to increase capacity
 Adding new materials to the Blue Box Program
 Providing door-to-door green bin and recycling collection to townhouses
 Making recycling more convenient in multi-unit buildings
 Education, outreach and enforcement of mandatory diversion by-laws
 The City examining its powers, with respect to packaging, under the new City of
Toronto Act
 Establishing an In-store Packaging Working Group to examine ways to reduce
packaging
 Introducing a volume-based rate system based on volume of garbage generated
What’s different about this plan’s approach?
This plan brings the focus back to the first two of the 3Rs – Reduce and Reuse. It also offers
the public an incentive to reduce their garbage – less garbage equals lower costs. This plan
gives people the tools they need to assist the City in achieving its aggressive waste diversion
goal.
Excessive packaging takes up space in my garbage. What is the City doing to help
reduce unnecessary packaging?
A Working Group will be established to work on the issue of excessive packaging. It will
approach other levels of government in whose jurisdiction packaging issues fall under for
assistance in this matter and devise strategies to approach manufacturers of packaging to
devise a means to encourage waste reduction, amongst other initiatives.
What materials will be added to the Blue Box Program?
Polystyrene and plastic film will be added to the program once the new carts are in place in
2008. Plastic film may include grocery sacks, retail store sacks, bread, sandwich and bulk food
bags, dry cleaning bags, diaper outer bags and frozen food bags. Polystyrene items may include
cups, food containers, cutlery and plates and plant trays/flower pots.
So, I’ll be getting a new cart for recycling as well. Are there different sizes of carts?

Yes. Residents living in residential houses will be offered three sizes of recycling carts – 120
litres (equal to 2 blue boxes), 240 litres (equal to 4 blue boxes) and 360 litres (equal to 6 blue
boxes). The carts will be delivered to each home and will be provided to residents at no charge.
Why is the City charging residential households who already divert 58 per cent of
their waste annually, when multi-unit residential buildings only divert 13 per cent?
The City is very appreciative of the solid participation rate of residential households in Toronto’s
diversion programs. However, audits of material collected at curbside and recent research pilots
indicate that residential households are willing to and capable of recycling even more. Under this
new plan, multi-unit residential buildings will also be paying for solid waste services and will also
receive new programs to help them increase their waste diversion rate.
Will anyone be exempt from this plan?
No, this plan applies to all residents receiving City collection (including those with medical needs,
low income families, seniors, large families and Toronto Community Housing Corporation).
How will the City handle properties with challenging storage or set-out issues?
The City recognizes that there are some neighbourhoods in Toronto, such as row houses, that
have challenges related to the carts. Staff conducted a number of pilots in areas with potentially
challenging storage and set-out issues, such as row houses, homes with no driveways and
limited access to the backyard, homes with limited storage and set-out areas in front of their
house or many stairs leading down to the road. The results of these pilots demonstrated the
need to also offer smaller carts to residents. While the smaller carts will solve the problem for
some homes, there will still be others that will require a further solution to the physical
challenges. Staff will work directly with the local Councillor and residents on a case by case
basis to identify and implement a workable solution to these challenges.
How will the system work for residents living in legal basement apartments or
multiple units within one house?
With respect to legal basement apartments receiving separate collection for each unit, the City is
currently in the process of determining the most efficient way to roll-out the carts to these types
of dwellings. Likewise, staff are figuring out how to address the issue of multiple dwellings in a
house, such as a triplex.
What about the times when residents may have more than their usual garbage (i.e.
holidays, spring cleaning, etc.)?
Residents will have the option to put out additional bags of garbage during those times when
they have a larger volume of garbage. Each household will be able to put out four additional
garbage bags per year at no charge. A fee will be charged for each additional bag beyond the
four free bags. An electronic system on the collection vehicles will keep track of extra set-outs,
without residents having the inconvenience of purchasing additional stickers, tags or bags.
What should residents do with larger, bulky items that don’t fit into the garbage
cart?
Once the new system is in place, residents will not be charged for larger items, such as
furniture and electronics that do not fit inside the new carts. These items will likely be set out at
the curb on collection day to be picked up by the City. The City also plans to open several reuse
centres so residents can divert these durable items from landfill.
Residents can also drop off unwanted waste and household items to any of the seven Solid
Waste Drop-off Depots. Please note, the Waste Subsidy Program has been discontinued
effective July 1, 2007. Therefore, fees may apply. The Drop-off Depot chart outlines the address
and phone number of each location. Please call the Depot closest to you before going to verify
the hours of operation and check if there will be a charge for your load.

Is the size of the green bin also changing?
Not at this time. The green bin was developed at the current size because there was a limit to
what could be lifted by collection workers. There is no limit on the amount of organics that may
be placed for collection each week; however, a bin weighing more than 20 kgs (44 lbs) will not
be picked up. Residents wishing to set out more than this volume can either purchase a second
bin or use clear plastic bags for their overflow material. With automation of the new garbage and
recycling collection, the City can now provide residents with a larger green bin. The City will
work with suppliers to develop a new green bin and details will be made available closer to the
delivery date.
What should I do with my old garbage can(s)?
Once the new garbage carts are delivered, residents can reuse their old plastic garbage cans
as storage containers or for new uses such as setting out leaf and yard waste for collection.
Yard waste is collected at curbside from April to December on the days indicated in your
collection calendar. Weeds, plant trimmings and leaves can be set out for collection in any rigid
open top container that has handles. Reusing plastic garbage cans for leaf and yard waste will
reduce, if not eliminate, residents’ need to purchase kraft paper yard waste bags.
The City is currently investigating the best method of recovering unwanted plastic garbage
cans. Details on how to correctly dispose of any unwanted plastic garbage cans will be made
available closer to the delivery of your new garbage cart.
What should I do with my old blue and grey recycling box(es)?
Once the new recycling carts are delivered, residents can reuse their old recycling boxes as inhouse
storage containers for recyclables or for new uses such as setting out leaf and yard
waste for collection. Yard waste is collected at curbside from April to December on the days
indicated in your collection calendar. Weeds, plant trimmings and leaves can be set out for
collection in any rigid open top container that has handles. Reusing recycling boxes for leaf and
yard waste will reduce, if not eliminate, residents’ need to purchase kraft paper yard waste
bags.
The City is currently investigating the best method of recovering unwanted recycling boxes.
Details on how to correctly dispose of any unwanted recycling boxes will be made available
closer to the delivery of your new recycling cart.
What will happen to my old garbage can and recycling boxes?
The City is currently looking into the best method of recovering unwanted garbage cans and
recycling boxes. At the same time, the City is investigating what containers can be recycled and
kept out of landfill. While recycling boxes are made of the same type of plastic, there are various
types of plastic garbage cans used at homes across the city. For example, some plastic garbage
cans have metal fittings that may not meet our recycling program standards. Details on how to
correctly dispose of any unwanted plastic garbage cans and recycling boxes will be made
available closer to the delivery of your new garbage cart and recycling cart.
How is the City going to make recycling more convenient for apartment residents?
Generally, apartment tenants have to take their recyclables to a common recycling area, usually
the basement or a designated area outside. Residents reported that having to travel to recycling
areas discourages them from recycling. Staff recommends that the City provide recycling carts
to property managers at no charge so they can be placed in different areas in the building such
as the laundry room, mailroom and other common areas. The carts could be designed to appeal
for indoor use. Property managers would then coordinate the transfer of the recyclables from
the carts to the central recycling area.

Is variable pay rate system being done anywhere else?
The volume-based rate structure is modeled on similar programs that have been successfully
implemented in other major North American cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, San
Jose, Seattle, Quebec City and Vancouver.
Vancouver also has a variable pay rate system. How does Vancouver’s service
costs compare to Toronto’s?
Currently, Vancouver households pay a yearly Solid Waste Utility Fee of, on average, $110 for
waste collection, $35 for yard waste collection and $20 for recycling collection, for a total yearly
average of $165. Since solid waste management services in Vancouver are provided by the City
of Vancouver and the Greater Vancouver Regional District, it appears that disposal and
processing (e.g. yard waste and recycling processing) costs may not be fully funded through
the Solid Waste Utility Fee.
In comparison, Toronto households currently pay an average of $183 per year for solid waste
programs and services - about 11% more per household. This fee covers the cost of all solid
waste services, including litter collection, perpetual landfill care and Household Hazardous
Waste collection and disposal. It is important to note that this fee also includes the cost of
providing the Green Bin Program to single-family homes - an expensive program currently not
offered in Vancouver.
Why don’t you implement a sticker or a bag-tag program?
The City did consider stickers and bag tags for garbage bags but after evaluation decided the
cart was a better system. The cart is expected to last at least ten years and is reused during
that entire time. For many residents, this means not having to buy hundreds of disposable plastic
garbage bags which end up in landfill. The City also considered that the streetscape is more
attractive on garbage collection day when streets are lined with carts rather than numerous
garbage bags. The cart system also reduces worker injuries because the cart is picked up
mechanically virtually eliminating manual lifting of the garbage. In addition, carts are also more
resistant to nuisance animals than are bags.
Won’t a program like this increase illegal dumping of garbage?
The City recognizes and understands residents’ concerns about a potential increase in illegal
dumping when the volume based rate system for garbage is implemented. Other municipalities
that have implemented similar systems have found there was an initial blip in illegal dumping but
no sustained increase. Other municipalities rectified the initial illegal dumping problems through
communications, monitoring of illegal dumping "hot spots" and bylaw enforcement. The City’s
plans include a comprehensive education program and the hiring of additional bylaw officers to
monitor illegal dumping and enforce the City's bylaws. The City is also currently investigating
ways to effectively manage illegal dumping in front of properties on garbage collection day.
For those living in condos: You may also want to talk to your building superintendent to see if it's
possible to store the collection bins inside your building (where a sprinkler system is present)
until collection day or to chain and lock the bins stored outside until collection day. If you witness
illegal dumping, please call the City's Customer Service line at 416-338-2010 to report it.
Is the cart-based system more efficient than the existing manual collection?
If so, will this result in layoffs? One of the reasons for moving towards a cart-based system is
improved efficiency. The actual rates of improvements will be determined in the expanded pilot
area, but based on experience in other cities, such as Vancouver, efficiency improvements of at
least 10 per cent are anticipated.
Efficiency gains will result in the redeployment of some collection staff. Currently, Solid Waste

Management Services has approximately 565 collection staff (plus contracted staff). Of these,
approximately 400-500 staff provide curbside waste, recycling or green bin service. The
remainder provide commercial, yard waste or specialized white goods collection. A 10 per cent
gain in efficiency could result in a redeployment of approximately 40-45 staff to one of two new
curbside collection services: door-to-door townhouse collection (15-20 staff) and curbside
durable goods collection (30-40 staff). Therefore, the efficiency gains in the due to automation
core residential services allows for the introduction of new services through the redeployment
of staff.
 
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