Off Topic question for Ontario people

[marisa]

Hi. This is off topic but I couldn't think of a better way to see what others are paying.

Up until now our garbage removal has been free. We live in a small town of about 35,000 people. Most places around us (Toronto, Barrie etc) have a limit of "free" bags they can put out and then you buy 1 dollar tags for extras.

Our town announced that we will be paying 2 dollars per bag. I (like MANY others) am writing a letter to be sent to a couple people including the local paper and I'd like some comparison rates to include.

What do you pay per bag in Ontario in your town?

Marisa

[Vengeance]

I live in a small town North of Toronto and we have the Garbage tag rule, I actually find it is pretty good. Our Bylaw says you get 1 free bag or 1 free container of garbage and then anything after that is $1 per bag. The 1 free container is nice because you can buy a big garbage can and then stuff as many bags as possible into that one can and use it as your one container. Other great thing is that large items like couches and chairs and things are also only $1 to remove. All in all I don't mind the system.

[marisa]

I like the bag rules. I am just not understanding why Barrie and places close to us pay only 1 dollar while we pay 2 dollars in a town thats far smaller. It just seems nuts.

And also in our "system" there is no removal of leaf litter day except once per year for brush. There is also NEVER any couch or furniture pick up. Ever. If you even put a ten inch TV out there, they leave it.

I don't think we pay MORE than most, but I am interested in what others pay for sure.

Marisa

[Jeff_Favelle]

Even if it was $5 per bag, we'd STILL be undercharged. Just like the REAL cost of gas is like 10x what we're paying.

[Double J]

I actually find this policy to be counter-productive.

Here is why:

It simply encourages illegal dumping of garbage. If someone has extra garbage every week, and does not want to pay, they will either;

a)throw it in a field, or drop the bag in a river

b) toss their bags into someone elses dumpster

This is really only a money grab in my opinion and does nothing to reduce peoples consumption of various things and production of garbage, which of course is the real problem.

[marisa]

The best part is our garbage policy aside from the finacial part.

Our garbage men will only take garbage in black bags. Yup. No white, clear, yellow or anything else. If its not in black, its left behind. If you put out brush in a bag, left behind. If the bag is not closed. Left behind. If the bag even looks at the garbage guy funny, left behind.

Grrrrrr!

Marisa

[peterm15]

whats everyones max garbage collection... mine is 3 baggs max... but as far as i know you cant add on... so its three bags... they do that to promote recycleing.... oh and garbage collection is only once a week..... some towns in toronto have 2 or 3 collections a week...

[marisa]

We are allowed 2 bags. Once per week. This is literally impossible with a five member household even WITH compost and recycling.

Marisa

[peterm15]

oh and merissa.. i think my guy used to do that too... lol... the one i have now is very leanient...and our recycly guy even neatly puts back our container.... he likes that we sort our recycle in seperate containers... so he doesnt have to... he even said thank you to me one time when i was in the driveway...

[clint545]

Marisa, we haven't had to pay for our bags yet in Newmarket, but I'm sure it's in the works. I've heard that in our area they're going to $2 a bag everywhere.
I have to agree with Double J. I grew up in a rural area that had huge illegal dumping and that was 20 years ago, when it was free!!

[chameo_liz]

the bag tags here are $2.50 ea. as for limits there arent any here that i know of. The guy a couple doors takes advantage of the appartment complexes in the area to get ride of his garbage, always loading his truck up around 9pm and comming back 15 minutes later empty.

Kris

[mykee]

No cost yet where I live, BUT after driving around the neighbourhood today, (garbage day) and seeing all the crap that people are throwing out after Christmas, I'm pretty sure that the cost per bag deal will be here soon enough. I certainly hope it comes, becaase some people just flat out abuse the no limit rule here. I've driven by some houses that have excess fo 15 LARGE Glad bags in front of their houses!! That's just ridiculous.

[CamHanna]

I am in a rural area and do not have garbage pick-up. I believe the dump charges $0.50/bag (you have to drive it there). Most people around here burn their garbage and take the ashes to the dump.

[marisa]

I am going to simply wait for a smart guy with a truck to open up a private pick up business.

It costs two dollars a bag here for them to take it. But less than 50 cents per bag if you take it to the dump. I have taken a large load after a move to the dump, of basic garbage, and it cost less than 30 dollars for a HUGE truck load of tons of bags.

So if you have the time, and a truck, you could make some good money simply charging a dollar to pick up bags for people and then taking them to the dump yourself.

I am also switching substrates. My reptile room puts out two garbages bags per week ALONE. I use paper towel so weekly cleaning is a few rolls in the garbage. I am going to put out for carefresh and hopefully help reduce the waste.

Marisa

[Siretsap]

We do not have the garbage bag rules yet in Montreal, but am sure it will come shortly. I know some inspectors go through the garbage to check if you do your recycling, and if you don't you get a warning and eventually a fine for not doing the recycling.

We also have the water meter now in some areas (pretty good in my opinion).

[meow_mix450]

I could udnerstand why people would be complaning when it rises to 2 bucks. I watched the news a while ago and if you do illgeal dumping of garbage bags they will search your garbage, find your address then knock on your door and give you a fine. Not pretty. Here we dont really have a limit. Maybe 5 bags im not sure. But it only comes every other week. We have those green bins and they come everyweek to get those.(green bin are food waste). Scarborough were the gini pigs to see if it was sucessful and it was.

But what if you have a big family? Do they care?

Meow

[Jayson]

marisa

I find it hard to believe that you produce more then 2 bags of non recyclable garbage per week. I have a family of 4 and we produce about 3/4 bags per week. Most garbage is recycleable if people take time to sorte it out.

To answer your question we get 1 free per week then $1 per bag after. We just got garbage pick up this year, before this it was $1 per bag and we had to get it to the dump our selves. we are in a very small community north of peterborough ont.

[marisa]

We not only sort out of recycle but we also sort out what we can compost ON TOP of recycle in the blue box!

When you add in my reptile garbage from over 20 reptiles on paper towel susbtrate, and my roomate also keeps reptiles, and you add four people working and eating out then you can EASILY have more than two bags.

We put out between 3-5 per week.

Marisa

[Double J]

Marisa, have you ever considered burning the paper towels that you use with your reptiles?

Is that possible where you live?

[Bruce]

$2 a bag in Kenora, no freebies. If you drive to the dump they charge by the weight. Anyone know where you can buy those hand operated aluminum can crushers?

[marisa]

No definitly not.

I would LOVE to burn the paper stuff but we live in a suburb. If I let a match go to long lighting my smoke on a the porch the neighbors call the fire department.

We are allowed a fire by permit, less than a foot by one foot, for cooking food only.

Marisa

[JAdkins2451]

Where I live you can Have 4bags A week.

[mykee]

Marisa; funny you should mention the dump, because I make a trip a week to the dump for my rat bedding (5+ bags). I simply refuse, legal or not, to put 5 or more bags of soiled aspen shavings at my sidewalk, last thing I would need is for a raccoon or a skunk to rip open a bag and let out my dirty little secret. At the dump, you get weighed on a big truck scale, and as long as your load is under 50 kg's (110 lbs) you're trip is free.

[Matt_K]

Marisa, we're allowed unlimited here right now.. In 2005 it's three bags and each additional is $1.. The only reason it's changing here is because a new company got the contract for our area..

-Matt

[Mark]

I go through 6 large trash bags of rodent garbage a week and then the house garbage on top of that. On bad weeks I can have upwards of 12 bags and lumber on occasions. Thankfuly I'm in a town of 4000 and nobody really cares what you do. Although a $1 a bag cost is still reasonable in my mind. For myself I'd rather just pay off the garbage collectors then have to drive to the dump even if it is free for 110lbsw

[CamHanna]

Can you compost the paper towels? In the spring, summer and fall I compost all of my snake/rat substrate along with other organic waste in an 5'x5'x5' bin which saves alot of space in the burn-barrel and consequently in the dump.

[RepTylE]

No additional charge here, taxes pay for the service so technically it isn't free. They will take large items like old dressers and mattresses too instead of waiting for bulk trash days but I doubt that the handlers are happy with that.
At any rate there has been no mention of charges for additional bags.

[BornboreD]

When I used to live in Orillia, they ahd a tag system. You had to buy garbage tags that cost $7 for 5 tags, (maybe 6). These tags were also hard to track down cause you could only get them at a few select locations, which never advertised that they had em.

Trash removal would only take bags with tags, and would just leave any that didn't have them. Orillia, also had alot of really strict recycling policies, when not followed properly would end up in it just being left as well.

I now live in Barrie, but in an apartment building so garbage removal is free for me, not sure about others.

[marisa]

Well I am planning on switching to carefresh.

It's expensive, but it will need a "full" change less than paper towels, and it's biodegradable to the point you can flush small amounts down the toliet. I think I will buy another compost barrel for carefresh specifically and then use it as multch.

*sigh* Remember way back when it was still o.k. to eat a burger in a stryofoam box? LOL

Marisa