Last week, council committee voted in favour of a free, one-time pickup of bulky items that residents leave at their curb. It’s expected this amnesty, of sorts, will be held in June.
On Monday night, city council provided more detail about what will be collected – and what will be left at the curb.
“(It) itemizes in minute detail every single item that is acceptable and not acceptable in this collection,” said Coun. Ted Emond, who championed the idea. The clear guidelines were enacted to “help clarify for staff what we will be and not be incorporating in this one-time amnesty of bulky items.”
As per the detailed rules endorsed by council last night, bulky items are defined as items larger than one metre in length and/or 23 kilograms in weight. Items that can be set out to the curb include ‘divertible materials’ such as:
- Wooden furniture
- Mattresses and box springs
- Appliances
- Metal items
- Electronics
- Tires (on and off rim)
- Garbage
- Couches
- Foam chairs
- Lawn furniture
- Rolled carpet (maximum size of 2.5 metres by 30 centimetre in diameter when rolled)
The following should NOT be set out to the curb on the bulky collection day:
- Regular garbage that can be set out on regular collection day
- Brush and tree wood
- Construction debris and building matters
- Explosive or highly combustible materials
- Liquid or semi-liquid waste
- Biomedical or animal waste
- Propane tanks
- Hazardous waste
- Window glass
- Any item that cannot be reasonably lifted by two individuals
Bulky items are to be placed out for collection no later than 7 a.m. on the day of collection and not before 11 a.m. on the previous day.
Any items deemed non-collectible will be left behind and must be removed by the occupant by 11 a.m. on the day following the collection.
All items are to be placed at the end of the driveway – not on the road or sidewalk. Collectors will not enter any building on private property to remove bulky items.
Coun. Ralph Cipolla lauded the plan. “I think this will help clean up our city quite a bit … and make our city more attractive.”
Coun. Mason Ainsworth opposed the initiative last week. At the time, he said he was opposed due to the cost, potential abuse of the amnesty and concerns about citizens opting not to recycle or reuse because of this one-day, free collection.
“But I do believe now, after a lot of consideration, that this is a good way to go in regards to a one-year pilot project,” Ainsworth said Monday night. He said data collected from the project would be helpful to the waste management advisory committee and to council.
That data could help determine if this “is a program we want to continue in the future. If we are collecting a lot of recyclable materials, for example, is that something we can do a bit different in the future. If we are getting a certain type of waste, is there a program identified with that. It will be interesting how that discussion might go down the road.”
The date for the collection has not yet been set.
