Despite the distinct opposite of fanfare in regards to Guelph's new waste cart program, Phase 2 of the roll-out begins later this month, as announced today by a city press release.
This next portion of the roll-out, the second of three parts, will fill in many of the gaps in the northeast, west, and south end of the cities. The core, much of the east end, and the northwest of Guelph won't get their carts until 2014.
So are you getting a waste cart? Check out one of the maps on the city's website to be sure. On a personal side note, I will be one of the ones getting the waste carts this month, although I live in a townhouse complex, so the way we use the carts will be somewhat different than if you live in a detached home. I'm very interested in seeing how the carts will be received in my 'hood.
The full press release is below:
Carts to be placed at the curb this November for automated waste collection
Guelph, ON, September 10, 2013 – On Monday, September 23, the City will start delivering green, blue and grey waste carts to another 15,000 households across the city.
This is the second of three phases to convert Guelph households to carts by the end of 2014. The carts will be used instead of plastic bags to place household waste at the curb for collection.
Homes in the select 2013 neighbourhoods will receive a food scraps container to keep in the kitchen and three carts: an 80-litre green cart for organics, a blue cart for recyclables and a grey cart for garbage. An information package including a user guide and waste collection schedule will be delivered inside the green cart.
“The carts, through residents’ participation, support Guelph’s leadership in waste diversion and will help us achieve our waste diversion target of 70 per cent by 2021,” says Dean Wyman, general manager of Solid Waste Resources.
Earlier this year, residents had the option to select their preferred size of blue and grey carts from four options. To accommodate the customized orders, the delivery will take place over a six-week period, ending Friday, November 1. The three carts will arrive at homes separately, on different dates. If a household does not receive all three carts by November 1, they are asked to contact Solid Waste Resources.
At the curb, the green cart will be collected each week and the blue and grey carts will be collected biweekly, on alternate weeks.
Cart collection begins this November. Depending on the collection schedule a household currently follows, Week A cart collection starts on Monday, November 4 and Week B starts one week later.
“The automated system is regarded as a municipal best practice. It is faster, more efficient and requires four fewer trucks on Guelph’s roads,” says Wyman. “This helps decrease Guelph’s carbon footprint, contributes to better air quality and generates annual financial savings for the City of about $460,000.”
As of Monday, September 23, the Solid Waste Resources customer service desk is extending its hours to answer residents’ phone calls and e-mails throughout the transition from bags to carts. The new hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Residents receiving carts this fall have a three month trial period to decide if their blue and grey carts are a suitable size for their household. After January 31, 2014, these households are subject to a $35 fee for each cart exchange.
More information is available on guelph.ca/waste or by contacting Solid Waste Resources at 519-767-0598 or waste@guelph.ca.
About the carts
The City is phasing in the waste cart program over three years—2012 to 2014—to keep costs affordable. A map identifying the neighbourhoods in each phase is available at guelph.ca/waste. Alternatively, residents can call the City’s Solid Waste Resources department at 519-767-0598.
A survey conducted in May 2013, revealed 80 per cent of the residents who starting using the new waste carts in 2012, are satisfied with the City’s new waste collection system.
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