Burlington neighbourhoods selected to test new waste collection system
Published April 11, 2023 at 9:23 am
Two neighbourhoods in Burlington will be used in a pilot project that could ultimately lead to major changes in the way waste is collected in Halton Region.
The neighbourhoods identified will see the traditional blue (recyclables) and grey (garbage) boxes replaced with larger, wheeled carts that will be picked up on alternating weeks instead of weekly.
The pilot will launch later this year and will affect homes on Appleford Lane, Rosseau Pl, Abbey Crt., Knights Bridge Crt., Havendale Blvd., Donnic Dr., Gunby Cres., and Edgar Ave. There are also test areas planned for Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills. The pilot project will last one year.
“What this means is there will be special garbage bins and special trucks that will lift the garbage and put it in (the trucks),” Mayor Marianne Meed Ward said in an interview with Khaled Iwamura of inhalton.com. “We will see how it works. Other municipalities of done this. We don’t have the equipment to roll it out Halton-wide. We will give it a try first…and then see how we can implement it if the pilot goes well.”
According to a Halton Region report, the motivation behind any changes will be the ability to make waste collection more efficient. The different-sized wheeled carts will be collected through automation which will reduce the number of staff on the pick-up trucks. A lone driver of the truck will be able to pick up the cart through a lift system that includes an automated arm that can grab and lift the bins.
Automated waste collection has been increasing across the country and has been used successfully in such places as Peel Region for several years.
“Where an Automated Wheeled Cart Collection program has been implemented, costs are also reduced by providing every other week collection of recyclable material and every other week collection of garbage to maximize efficiencies and reduce the cost to purchase
additional collection vehicles,” the report reads. “An automated wheeled cart collection vehicle is also able to service approximately 35 per cent to 40 per cent more households on a daily basis than a collection vehicle performing manual collection of waste material. The rate of collection employee turnover is also less frequent ensuring consistent levels of service by experienced and knowledgeable collection crews.
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