In the first week of green bin collection in the city, workers collected 200 tonnes of material – half of what the program is eventually anticipated to pick up per collection day.
But the city’s manager solid waste operation is confident the tonnage will increase as the weeks go by.
“That was Week One of the program,” said Marilyn Journeaux.
The program will collect more material once more people figure out how the program works, she said.
“Right now, it’s winter and the tonnage is low because we’re only getting household organics,” she said. “We’re not getting leaf and yard waste or garden waste.”
There was a small glitch earlier this week, after the contractor, Orgaworld Canada, informed the city that its current Ministry of Environment Certificate of Approval issued by the Ministry of the Environment should not include dog feces as an acceptable material.
The city’s promotional materials, delivered to every home with a green bin, were prepared before Orgaworld stated the certificate of approval does not include dog feces. It does include kitty litter and rabbit and small animal bedding.
Journeaux said the reason that dog poop is not allowed in the green bins is because it is usually collected in plastic bags, and the green bin program is a plastic-free program.
Other problems include food stuck inside green bins, said Journeaux.
But as a whole, rollout has gone very smoothly and the city is getting much more positive feedback, she said.
When the green bins were first delivered, 1.25 per cent of people who received the bins asked to have them removed, Journeaux said.
“Now, there are people who can ask if they can have more than one bin.”
