Clear division on bag project
November 26, 2008

PICKERING -- Door-to-door education has begun in a Pickering neighbourhood, one of two in Durham testing out the Region's clear bag pilot project.

Regional Council approved the project that will go into the Amberlea neighbourhood in Pickering starting in January, along with one in Courtice. The pilot runs for three months and, in the last stage, garbage will be left at the curb if the clear bag contains compost or recyclables. The purpose is to increase recycling and composting, create awareness on diversion and reduce the amount of garbage and trucks going to landfill.

But not everyone thinks it'll run smoothly. Ward 1 City Councillor Jennifer O'Connell thinks the issue should have been discussed at Pickering Council.

"Specifically, I believe questions regarding the selection process, criteria, the monitoring program and community involvement in this process needs to be discussed by members of Council in an open forum," she said in a letter presented to Council.

She's also afraid of what will happen to the garbage that's left at the curb.

"Who's going to clean it up?" she said, answering her own question with "the taxpayers."

Perhaps the problem is not diversion, but education, she continued. Also, since the holiday season produces more garbage than usual, she thinks it's not the best time to run the project.

"Is this going to be a true reflection of the real waste in our community?" she said.

Ward 3 Regional Councillor Rick Johnson said staff will go door-to-door to educate residents participating in the project.

"It's a very aggressive project, but education is a big part of it," he said.

In a letter sent to Amberlea residents, Cliff Curtis, the Region's commissioner of works, said there will be public information sessions on Tuesday, Dec. 9 and Wednesday, Dec. 10 at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Pickering. Information packages will be delivered to residents on the week of Dec. 15, which will include a sufficient supply of clear bags to use during the study, and on the weeks of Dec. 22, 29 and Jan. 5, residents will receive door hangers to remind them of the start date.

Ward 2 Regional Councillor Bill McLean and Mayor Dave Ryan disagree with the pilot.

"I think what the Region is doing is setting this project up to fail," Coun. McLean said.

Timing is a concern since December isn't the best time for public education, said Ward 1 Regional Councillor Bonnie Littley, but she voted in support of the pilot at the Region.

"Do I think that they're pushing this too fast?" she said at Pickering Council. "Absolutely."

She would rather have had a pilot to work with residents in multi-residential housing without waste diversion and she thinks expanding the blue bin program to add more recyclables is needed. But, this will teach residents about diversion, she said. Also, Erin Shapero, a Markham councillor, recently informed her that the clear bag pilot in Markham was a success.

"Residents will be the ones that will make any diversion project work or not, so, we'll see how it is received," Coun. Littley said in an e-mail.