Seasonal Waste Collection To Begin Next Month

Curbside yard waste collection resumes on Tuesday and continues until the last week of November. 

pHOTO BY dAVID tUAN bUI.

Residents can put out unlimited amounts of yard waste in reusable labelled containers, bushel baskets or paper waste bags. The collection will occur weekly on the same day Green Bins are collected. 

Yard waste set-out requirements:  

• Rigid open-top container with a maximum volume of 80 litres, with two fixed handles, lids must be removable and not secured by any means (bungee cords, etc.). Yard waste material must empty freely when emptied/dumped by the collector.  

• Bins must have two clearly identifiable yellow labels attached defining the contents as yard waste.  The yellow labels are available for no charge at City Hall, 500 George St. N. from Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., except statutory holidays. 

• Kraft Paper Bags, or a bushel basket will be acceptable for yard waste.  No other type of bin will be collected (including blue boxes). No plastic bags will be accepted.  

• Damaged/Broken bins will not be accepted.  

• Each container must weigh less than 13 kg (30 lbs).  

• Brush can be tied in bundles with light rope or twine, weighing not more than 13 kg (30 lbs), with a length of up to 1 m (3 ft) and a diameter of up to 30 cm (12 inches).  

• Yard waste should be put out after 6 p.m. the night before or no later than 7 a.m. the morning of your collection. 

There are six large item collection dates for 2024. The first collection date is April 29.

For a fee, the City will pick up items larger or heavier than the weekly garbage allowance, such as furniture and appliances. Large items are defined as items weighing more than 13.6 kg (30 lbs) and longer than 1 m (3 ft). The service costs $30 for the first item and $10 for each additional item. Please note that mattresses and box springs are $30 each and do not qualify for any discount. 

Arrangements can be made online or by calling the City Hall Tax Office at 705-742-7777 ext. 1865. 

Bookings must be completed by the Tuesday before the collection date:

• Date collection begins: April 29 Booking deadline: April 23 

• Date collection begins: June 24 Booking deadline: June 18

• Date collection begins: May 27  Booking deadline: May 21 

• Date collection begins: July 29   Booking deadline: July 23 

• Date collection begins: May 27  Booking deadline: May 21 

• Date collection begins: Aug. 26  Booking deadline: Aug. 20  

• Date collection begins: Sept. 30  Booking deadline: Sept. 24

The City Public Works crew starts collecting large items at 7 a.m. on the Monday of the collection week. Depending on the volume of items, collections may continue for several days before the collection is completed. The City asks not to remove items from the curb if they have not been collected on Monday.

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City of Peterborough Large Item Collection on July 24

The City of Peterborough will pick up items larger than the weekly garbage allowance such as furniture and appliances for a fee. The next large item collection is on Monday, July 24.

file photo.

The cost for this service is $30 for the first item and $10 for any additional item. Mattresses and box springs are $30 each and do not count as a first item.

Large item collection continues monthly until September. The upcoming dates for collection in 2023 are:

• Monday, August 28

• Monday, September 25

Residents who have scheduled collection should have their items to the curb by 7 a.m. the first day of collection. Depending on the number of pickups scheduled each month, collection could take a few days to complete. Residents are asked to leave the items they have booked for pickup at the curb.

Refrigeration items must have the Freon removed prior to collection.

Automobile parts, televisions and monitors are not accepted in this collection. These items can be disposed of at the Hazardous and Electronic Waste Depot at 400 Pido Rd., open Wednesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Residents can book their collection online or by phone at 705-742-7777 ext. 1865. The deadline for booking is 4:30 p.m. the Tuesday before each collection date. For example, for service on July 24, the collection must be booked by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 18.

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City of Peterborough Announces Large Item Collection Dates

The City of Peterborough will pick up items larger than the weekly garbage allowance such as furniture and appliances for a fee; with the next large item collection on Monday, June 26.

file photo.

The cost for this service is $30 for the first item and $10 for any additional item. Mattresses and box springs are $30 each and do not count as a first item.

Residents can book their collection online or by phone at 705-742-7777 ext. 1865. The deadline for booking is 4:30 p.m. the Tuesday before each collection date. For example, for service on June 26, the collection must be booked by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 20, 2023.

Large item collection continues monthly until September. The upcoming dates for collection in 2023 are:

1. Monday, July 24

2. Monday, August 28

3. Monday, September 25

Residents who have scheduled collection should have their items to the curb by 7 a.m. the first day of collection. Depending on the number of pickups scheduled each month, collection could take a few days to complete. Residents are asked to leave the items they have booked for pickup at the curb.

Refrigeration items must have the Freon removed prior to collection. Automobile parts, televisions and monitors are not accepted in this collection. These items can be disposed of at the Hazardous and Electronic Waste Depot at 400 Pido Rd., open Wednesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Building or construction material can be disposed of at the Landfill at 1260 Bensfort Rd.

For more details, call the Waste Management Division at 705-742-7777 ext. 1657 or visit the website.

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Green Bins, Clear Bags and Garbage Collection Plan in The City of Peterborough

With the start of the weekly Green Bin program for household organic waste collection on Oct. 31, the City of Peterborough will at the same time shift to every-other-week garbage collection and requiring the use of clear bags for curbside garbage collection.

photo courtesy of the city of peterborough.

City Council approved the waste management service changes as part of the Waste Management Master Plan Update on Feb. 27.

Collection for household organic waste (Green Bin program) and recycling (Blue Bin program) will be provided weekly, which will greatly reduce the amount of waste that goes into the garbage. Garbage amounts are expected to reduce by between 40 per cent and 50 per cent, which will allow garbage collection to shift to an every-other-week schedule that is common in other communities that have Green Bin programs.

The use of clear bags for garbage will support waste diversion efforts and improve worker safety for garbage collectors by helping to avoid incidents with sharp objects in garbage bags.

Together, the waste management service changes are expected to bolster the community’s waste diversion rate from about 52 per cent currently to between 76 per cent and 83 per cent by 2030. Increasing the waste diversion rate to 75 per cent will add another five to six years of life to the landfill.

Public education and awareness activities will be taking place over the next eight months leading up to the start of the Green Bin program and the other changes for waste management services.

Information on how to participate will be shared through local television, radio, newspaper, and online media sources as well as on the City website at peterborough.ca/ReduceWaste. Program education resources will include pamphlets, a waste management calendar, a what’s-in-what’s-out sheet that details what organic waste can go in the Green Bin, and other helpful resources, including the City’s waste management app “City Waste“ that features a collection calendar and a tool for what goes where when you sorting garbage, recyclables and, beginning Oct. 31, organic waste.

To kick off the program, informational material will be distributed along with Green Bins to all eligible properties starting in September.

The Downtown Business Improvement Area, apartment buildings, and private road serviced developments are not included in this phase of the program implementation.

Green Bin program

As part of the launch of the Green Bin program, a Green Bin for curbside collection and a smaller container for use in the kitchen will be delivered to all eligible households. The program is being rolled out to most residential properties, except for multi-residential and condominium properties that receive private waste collection services.

The Green Bin for curbside collection is a heavy-duty pest-proof cart with a locking mechanism on the lid.

Delivery of Green Bins to eligible properties will begin in September and is expected to be completed by mid-October. After receiving their Green Bins, residents are encouraged to wait until about Oct. 20 before starting to use them to store food waste for collection.

Weekly curbside Green Bin collection will start Oct. 31.

About 40 per cent to 50 per cent of current garbage material is organic waste that will be diverted from the garbage stream with the introduction of organic waste collection.

Every-other-week garbage collection

Taking out 40 per cent to 50 per cent of the current garbage generated by households and diverting it to the new weekly Green Bin program starting Oct. 31 will mean garbage collection can shift to an every-other-week schedule.

Along with being less garbage, the waste that remains in the garbage stream for collection will no longer include the food waste and pet waste – removing most of the smelly materials from the garbage can.

Every-other-week garbage collection is common in communities that have Green Bin programs, such as:

• Barrie

• Durham

• Guelph

• Niagara Region

• Ottawa

• Peel

• Simcoe County

• Toronto

• Waterloo

A waste management calendar with a map illustrating collection zones and clearly marked collection dates for each zone will be provided to each eligible household before the changes start on Oct. 31. The online tool at peterborough.ca/ReduceWaste and the City’s Waste Management App will be updated to reflect the new collection schedules.

It is expected that the number of garbage bags that each household can put out for collection every other week will be set at four bags from the current limit of two lifts.

Garbage collection in the Downtown Business Improvement Area will not be affected by the waste management service changes, including schedules and requirements for putting out garbage for collection.

Clear bags for garbage

The City is requiring the use of clear bags for curbside garbage collection to improve worker safety. Clear bags help protect garbage collectors from sharp objects that are hidden when inside opaque bags.

Using clear bags also supports waste diversion efforts. The City will accept garbage bags that have some recyclable materials in the garbage – a reasonable approach will be taken to encourage diverting waste from garbage – but using clear bags will allow for education efforts if there is clearly no attempt at sorting out materials for recycling.

Residents will still be able to use a small opaque bag, such as a grocery bag, as a “privacy bag” that could be put into the larger clear bag. The privacy bag could be used for items such as medical prescription containers and other confidential items that a resident may wish to prevent from being seen when the garbage bag is placed at the curbside for collection.

Switching to clear garbage bags has been shown to increase the amount of waste diverted through recycling and composting programs. Waste audits in Peterborough in 2020-2021 found that about 10 per cent of material in curbside garbage bags was recyclable material.

Residents can switch to using clear garbage bags at any time before the official change on Oct. 31. Residents are encouraged to use up their supply of existing opaque garbage bags over the next eight months before the change is required.

All eight townships in Peterborough County already require clear bags for garbage collection. Clear bag garbage supplies should be available in local stores. The City will be contacting suppliers and sharing information for stores ahead of the waste management service changes.

Recycling collection

There are no changes planned to the current weekly recycling collection program, which will continue to be provided on a weekly basis.

The Material Recycling Facility at 390 Pido Rd. has an area for dropping off materials that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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Curbside Green Waste Collection Extended to Friday

The City of Peterborough's curbside collection of green waste has been extended one week, ending on Friday.

File Photo.

The collection was originally scheduled to end on Nov. 26. Residential leaf and yard waste is accepted and there are no quantity limits when set out following the collection guidelines.

Each bag or container must weigh less than 22 kg. Brush can be tied in bundles weighing not more than 22 kg, with a length of up to one metre and a diameter of up to 30.5 cm.

Paper yard waste bags, bushel baskets or garbage bins with yellow Green Waste labels will be picked up on the same day as garbage and recycling collection. Plastic bags are not accepted.

After Friday, curbside green waste collection will resume in spring 2023.

Green waste is accepted year-round at the Peterborough Waste Management Facility (landfill) at 1260 Bensfort Rd. There is a minimum charge of $7 per load, or $95 per tonne.

For more details, residents can call the waste management division at 705-742-7777 ext. 1657 or visit the City of Peterborough website www.peterborough.ca/waste.

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Peterborough’s Waste Diversion Program Wins Gold At Municipal Waste Association Conference

The City of Peterborough has won gold at the recent 2022 Municipal Waste Association Conference.

Photo courtesy of The City of Peterborough.

The City, through its Waste Diversion program, was presented the Gold Promotion and Education Award for its posters on public space receptacles that provide helpful advice on recyclables.

Bright, eye-catching posters designed to be easy to read for residents, were placed on 56 garbage and recycling bins located along trails and parks throughout the City. The goal was to make it easier for residents and visitors to put materials into the proper bin, thereby reducing contamination in the bins and maximizing the value of the recyclables that the City’s contractor sells to buyers for reuse.

The annual Promotion and Education Awards program is a way to celebrate the creativity and ingenuity of municipalities across Ontario to reduce waste and improve recycling. The award category was open to all Ontario municipalities and the City of Peterborough’s campaign was deemed the best in Ontario.

As part of its update the Waste Management Master Plan, the City is currently collecting public input regarding proposed initiatives that include requiring clear bags for garbage collection and changing the frequency of waste collection to improve efficiency.

Residents are asked to share their input by completing the survey online at www.connectptbo.ca/wasteplan2022 or by calling 705-742-7777 ext.1724.

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City of Peterborough Will Collect Household Batteries This Week

A special curbside collection of used household batteries by the City of Peterborough will take place during the first week of November.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

Battery-recycling bags were distributed inside the Peterborough This Week newspaper on Oct. 21. Households that did not receive a bag are asked to use a zip-lock bag or pick up a battery bag at City Hall, 500 George St. N.

Residents are asked to place their bag of batteries on top of the blue box used for paper during the week of November 2 to 5 only. Please ensure the top of the bag is securely closed so batteries don’t fall out.

This is a special, one-week collection and batteries are not permitted in blue box or garbage collection at any other time.

Residents who miss this collection, or live in an apartment may take used batteries to the City’s Household Hazardous Waste Depot at 400 Pido Rd., open Wednesday to Saturday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.

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Emterra Environmental Is New Contractor For Recycling Collection & Processing For City Of Peterborough

Starting today (Friday, November 1st), Emterra Environmental is the new contractor for recycling collection and processing for the City of Peterborough.

“While the recycling program remains the same, you’re going to see an emphasis on proper sorting of recyclable materials in our public education campaign and enforcement,” says Dave Douglas, Waste Diversion Section Manager. “The market for recyclable materials has become much stricter on the quality of materials. To be able to divert these items from landfill, we need to make sure that materials are sorted properly for processing and marketing.”

“If your blue boxes are not sorted properly, your recycling will not be collected,” adds Douglas. “Bring it back in, re-sort, and put it out again on your collection day the following week. Alternatively, you can drop off sorted recyclables at the Recycling Facility, 390 Pido Rd.”

The City’s handy online tool “What Goes Where?” at peterborough.ca/recycling is a helpful guide to sorting. For more details, contact the Waste Management Division at 705.742.7777, ext. 1657.

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The Last Reusable Exchange Weekend Of 2017 Is This Weekend

This is your last chance this year to participate in a Reusable Exchange Weekend. These events are the perfect opportunity to pass along items you no longer want and give them to someone who can use them—all for free.  

The September Reusable Exchange Weekend runs from Friday, September 15th to Sunday, September 17th.
 
Place reusable items at the curb on Friday evening. If items have not been taken by Sunday at 7 p.m., bring them back in.

For more details, please call the Waste Management Division at 705-742-7777 ext. 1891.

The weather is supposed to be beautiful this weekend, but unfortunately you can't recycle this weekend, too.

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15 Percent Of Peterborough's Recyclers Get Perfect Marks

The City’s Thumbs Up ambassador has been busy again this summer, travelling the streets of Peterborough and examining the full blue boxes she finds waiting for collection.

Katie, The Thumbs Up Ambassador

To date, 898 households have been surveyed, and close to 15 percent of those were found to be doing absolutely everything correctly.

The most common mistakes seen this summer are coffee cup lids going in the recycling (they should be removed from the cup, and placed in the garbage, along with stir sticks and cardboard sleeves), and plastic bags being loose and/or placed in the “Container” blue box. These need to be stuffed into one plastic bag, the top tightened shut, and placed in the “Paper” blue box.

Simple adjustments like these help to make sorting and processing much more efficient at the plant, saving time and money.

If you haven’t been visited yet, plan to get yourself a Thumbs Up sticker by following all of the City’s requirements for recycling. These can be found here under Recycling Materials.

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