Take out the trash in Simcoe County with new carts and new rules

Midhurst, Ont. -

Many residents across Simcoe County will move to an automated waste collection system that will run four days bi-weekly starting Monday.

The new program does not include Barrie and Orillia.

The change to an automated system requires residents to follow several rules while taking out the trash.

The trucks need the cards at the end of the driveway, spaced two feet apart, with the arrows on the top of the bin facing the road. The carts can't be more than eight feet from the curb for the trucks to automatically grab and empty them.

According to the County, organics will be collected weekly, and garbage and recycling will be collected four days bi-weekly.

"We recognize, and we've heard that this is a big change, and it's going to take residents a bit to adapt," said County of Simcoe Warden George Cornell.

"What we seen previously were some misses and delays with the manual collection, so the automated cart system should help eliminate those," the warden added.

The County said the previous waste collection contract made nine years ago was under $200 per household. The new contract for the automated system is around $300.

Warden Cornell attributes the price difference to labour cost changes over the last decade.

Miller Waste Systems, a family-run business that has operated the automated collection system in different Canadian markets, is taking over the collection program.

The waste trucks are fitted with a claw that reaches down from the truck, hugs the bins, and dumps the contents.

The County said this system is being used in around 70 per cent of municipalities across North America.

The company's president, Denis Goulet, said the program allows Miller Waste to protect its workers from manually lifting trash and recycling bins.

Goulet and the County expect there to be some confusion about the collection process, which is why Miller Waste is giving a 30 day grace period to residents who incorrectly place their carts.

"If we find that some of the carts are not properly placed, we will leave a sticker, which is really just a notice, that it needs to be adjusted and some instructions of how the bins should be placed out there on the curb," said Goulet.

With winter around the corner, Miller Waste is asking residents to prepare a routine where they will put their carts during the snowy months.

"Ensure that it's cleared and we strongly discourage placing carts on snowbanks because the arm can't reach it," Goulet noted.

Additionally, for residents who find their carts too large, the County is offering an exchange program in January, with smaller bin delivery by the end of February.