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Reducing solid waste going to the landfill is nice. Hopefully they can reduce the size of those carts. Three of those bins are going to take up a lot of space. Soon enough we'll have to double park the bins on the street.
My thoughts on the matter, anyone that is interested in composting is already doing it.
:werd:Quote:
Originally posted by kenny
My thoughts on the matter, anyone that is interested in composting is already doing it.
No more room for bins either. Either set up central points for people to drop off like recycling centers which many utilized before the blue bins, or selling the black compost containers.
I would compost but I live in a condo.Quote:
Originally posted by kenny
My thoughts on the matter, anyone that is interested in composting is already doing it.
Also, what about people who would like to compost but aren't into gardening?
Compost bins were put out at the U of C a couple of years ago, and have been quite a success. E.g., during 2009-2010, 468000 pounds of compostable material was kept out of the landfills... and then the city can use it for gardening and landscaping.
If they are serious about this, they need much smaller black bins.
In effect, there is no incentive to recycle or compost under the current system, since you can thorw away as much in the huge black bin as you want.
I currently only put out my bins every couple weeks, and that's with a toddler in disposable diapers too.
Not everyone can or wants to compost in their backyard. There is a fair bit of work maintaining a compost bin that not all people want to undertake.Quote:
Originally posted by kenny
My thoughts on the matter, anyone that is interested in composting is already doing it.
However if given a method of composting where all they have to do is separate out the organic matter, then you may actually have quite a few people doing it.
I imagine condos would be left out of green bin program like they are for the blue bin program.Quote:
Originally posted by Guillermo
I would compost but I live in a condo.
My suggestion if they do implement it city wide, is for 1st and 3rd week to be for black bin collection, and then 2nd and 4th week for blue/green collection. Or something along those lines. Weekly collection of 3 bins is a bit silly.
Oh most certainly - we STILL don't have recycling service at our condo.Quote:
Originally posted by kenny
I imagine condos would be left out of green bin program like they are for the blue bin program.
My suggestion if they do implement it city wide, is for 1st and 3rd week to be for black bin collection, and then 2nd and 4th week for blue/green collection. Or something along those lines. Weekly collection of 3 bins is a bit silly.
:dunno:
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I have no problem storing the bins. But other people who doesn't and leave them in the front is a vanity problem.
I love green bin for summer and fall (lawn clipping and leaves). But I see little effect in winter and I'm not able to separate organics out of my household trash which means it will be a sorting nightmare.
Do crusty tube socks count as organic matter?Quote:
Originally posted by sputnik
However if given a method of composting where all they have to do is separate out the organic matter, then you may actually have quite a few people doing it.
That's exactly what I was thinking. However, being out in the 'burbs I can just leave this thing sitting on the side of the house & out of the way but there are lots of people that don't have the space. The poor bastards in our community that live in a townhouse style condo complex have the blue & black bins sitting on their front steps. It looks trashy (pun intended).Quote:
Originally posted by Xtrema
I love green bin for summer and fall (lawn clipping and leaves). But I see little effect in winter and I'm not able to separate organics out of my household trash which means it will be a sorting nightmare.
I use to drive to those big green bins once a while too. It's kinda nice and convenient in a way that I don't have to anymore.
I only roll out the blue bin every two weeks or so if not more. I roll out the black bin every week because I don't want it to smell but it is never close to full. I'm guessing that the size of the bins may have something to do with the picker truck.
Option may not work. It won't be feasible to send a truck to a neighbourhood to pick up garbage of two households.
Just another thing the city is going to add to our bills, and still resell it elsewhere, collecting more money.
Compost-able materials already compost in a landfill, and will aid in breaking other materials down in the landfill.
using the excuse that it is keeping it OUT of the landfills is a horrible argument, and just another way the city is trying to get their hand in your pocket. Oh, the added cost won't be that much you say? Ok, well add that to the waste collection fees, recycling fees, and all the other fees we can't make sense of on our Enmax bills, it adds up quite quickly!
I seriously hope this one does NOT go forward. As kenny said, those that are already interested in this, are already doing it.
Municipalities that are composting, use the compost in city owned parks and green spaces instead of buying it.Quote:
Originally posted by spikers
Just another thing the city is going to add to our bills, and still resell it elsewhere, collecting more money.
Really? How exactly does a rotting potato help break down a broken television?Quote:
Originally posted by spikers
Compost-able materials already compost in a landfill, and will aid in breaking other materials down in the landfill.
Organic materials also need air and moisture to break down properly. Buried under a pile of garbage to then be covered by clay does nothing.
Composing programs like the one in Toronto take the organic matter and properly aerate it to ensure that it breaks down properly into a usable form.
Seriously. The program will probably cost a few bucks a month. If you don't like it, you can live out in the country and haul your own garbage to the transfer station at $10-20 load or pile it up in your own backyard.Quote:
Originally posted by spikers
using the excuse that it is keeping it OUT of the landfills is a horrible argument, and just another way the city is trying to get their hand in your pocket. Oh, the added cost won't be that much you say? Ok, well add that to the waste collection fees, recycling fees, and all the other fees we can't make sense of on our Enmax bills, it adds up quite quickly!
Having a modern civilization costs money.
Just wait until Canada ends up like Europe where your garbage is weighed every week and you get a bill based on how much you didn't compost or recycle.
In Kelowna, we have relatively small black garbage bins (only holds 1 large size black garbage bags) but have a big blue bin and a big yard waste bin. Garbage is picked up weekly, and the other two are picked up on alternating weeks. Considering how little effort is involved is putting your waste in 3 bins instead of 1, it seems worth it to minimize the amount of waste that is buried (especially here where there isn't unlimited land).
As someone who composts, I certainly hope there is an opt-out option for those who already compost as I don't think i will even use this.
It's been great for getting rid of reno waste that I couldn't otherwise have fit in a black plastic bag.Quote:
Originally posted by ExtraSlow
In effect, there is no incentive to recycle or compost under the current system, since you can thorw away as much in the huge black bin as you want.
The black bin has saved me several trips to the dump.
Yeah, that's handy, but it's exactly the opposite of the bahaviour we should be encouraging. People producing abnormal amounts of waste should be penalized.Quote:
Originally posted by LollerBrader
It's been great for getting rid of reno waste that I couldn't otherwise have fit in a black plastic bag.
The black bin has saved me several trips to the dump.
I don't get why any of the bins are so freakin huge here in Calgary. When i lived in Ottawa the black/blue/green bins were all 1/3 to 1/4 of the size of the ones here.