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Opinion: Lots of trash talking underway in Norfolk

A new era in waste collection is set to begin in late September in Norfolk County and, even though its goal is to reduce the strain on landfill sites, it seems several residents are balking at the plan.

A new era in waste collection is set to begin in late September in Norfolk County and, even though its goal is to reduce the strain on landfill sites, it seems several residents are balking at the plan. 

Currently, garbage is picked up weekly with a limit of four bags per household and no provision for the collection of organic waste. That will change in the fall with the introduction of weekly organic waste pickup and an every-other-week collection of regular garbage, albeit reduced to four bags for the two-week period. 

Opinion: Lots of trash talking underway in Norfolk Back to video

 Feedback to the plan isn’t entirely positive. Many oppose the reduced bag limit and the move for pickup to be scaled back to every other week. Additionally, a survey conducted two years ago found the majority of those polled wanted no part of a green bin program. 

 This harkens back to decades ago when the collection of recyclable items was first introduced. Prior to “blue bin” recycling, residents tossed their tin cans and paper packaging in with their regular garbage. It took a while for the separation of recyclables from regular garbage to catch on among residents, but it helped to extend the lifespan of landfill sites and contribute to a new industry. 

 Waste management officials estimate that nearly half of what is disposed of today is organic matter. By separating such items as vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, eggshells and expired foods into a dedicated green bin, regular garbage destined for the landfill will be significantly reduced – especially when collected every other week – thereby extending the lifespan of these disposal sites which are said to have perhaps only another dozen years remaining. 

The challenge will be to get residents accustomed to disposing of their organic waste into a separate bin. Those not enamoured with the plan argue holding onto organic waste in a separate bin for a week will generate foul odours and attract unwanted pests.  

This program has been in place for several years in the Niagara Region where my mother lives. She has a filtered countertop container lined with a biodegradable bag in which she places her kitchen scraps and, once the bag is full, is tied up and placed inside an enclosed green bin on her outside porch. The countertop container’s filter neutralizes any odours and keeps pests away. Once transferred to the green bin, along with two or three bags already filled during the week, the snap-shut cart eliminates any odours from escaping and keeps all pests away. 

There will undoubtedly be some growing pains along the way with Norfolk’s new waste collection strategy. Chances are there may be relatively few green bins placed at curbside in the beginning, but the numbers are bound to increase in the weeks and months to follow. Like blue bin recycling back in the day, keeping organic waste separated from regular garbage will take some getting used to.  

Our garbage must go somewhere, and there are fewer and fewer landfill sites that still have capacity. We have an obligation to do our part to help, no matter how inconvenient it may seem with these new changes being asked of us. 

 Mike Jiggens is a Delhi resident. 

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