HawthorneVillager.com

I sense a new business opportunity! I'm going to start selling used 45 gal drums with holes punched in them so we can all burn our garbage in our backyards on Saturday afternoons! Make it like a tailgate or street party and all the neighbors can get together and hang out! One week it's Norts house, and the next it's Devious. I will be sure to sell accessories as well, lumberjackets and gloves with no fingers for standing around the drum in winter.

I can see the current landfill from my front door and I would be happy if the place closed tomorrow. I recommend everyone drop all diversion altogether.Pack the place full!

Good on ya for doing the right/green thing.
Shame on the garbage man for penalizing ya.
perhaps tony can bring up this scenario at the meeting, I am sure it happens all the time. Maybe even another 0.5% to be redirected with no additional cost to anyone.

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No, no. You know who was right all along? The Mongolians. They knew that you just can't wall yourself off from the outside world. Putting walls up never helps anything. Tearing them down brings us together.
-Randy-South Park

Back in 2007 there was a potential EFW (Energy From Waste) facility being proposed at the regional level but was nixed by Regional government. http://www.halton.ca/cms/one.aspx?porta ... geId=12650

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Mike Cluett
Local/Regional Councillor
Wards 1,6,7 & 8

Website | Email mike@mikecluett.ca | Cell (647) 888-9032 | Facebook Page | | Twitter @Mike_Cluett

So if it costs $600k per year for this new bag tag program and it will extend the current life of the landfill for four years, and at its current rate the landfill will be full around 2042...simple rough math says that it will cost taxpayers in the neighbourhood of 18 million dollars to extend the life of the landfill for four years. Right? 600k x 30 years. $18,000,000.

If the council had guts, they would forget about a costly bag tag program and simply reduce the number of bags per week to three. End of story. There is already a diaper bag tag program in place, so increase the number of diaper bag tags allowable per year (marginal cost). If the members of council were really serious about diversion, they would take the $600k per year they would have spent on this and further increase the number of things that can be recycled. For example, adding styrofoam to the blue box program would cost only $219,400 annually. How much would it cost to add mixed plastics? Less than $400k per year? Done. With no diapers in the mix, and no styrofoam or any plastics, I don't see how any family could have more than 3 bags per week. Spring cleaning? Reno? That stuff doesn't smell. It can sit in the garage for an extra couple of weeks if you're at your max number of bags.

I don't mind keeping the number of bags of garbage I put out to three. I just don't want to pay (through my taxes) to do it.

Are there any studies on the amount of garbage produced by commercial properties relative to the amount produced by residential?

Assuming you go from 85% -> 95%, wouldn't the greater impact be on reducing landfill produced by commercial properties by enforcing recycling and compost on them?

so $600,000 a year extra and at best, we extend the dumps life for 4 years - meanwhile, new technology over the next 30 years could find new ways of disposing of trash (EFW for one), which means we wouldn't need to extend the dump's life.

Doesn't sound like a good deal to me.

Still waiting to her from our councillors on how they plan to vote - should add another 5 pages to the thread getting responses after they do that!

Vote NO to this.

This has gotta stop.

The Region reduces the bag limit from 6 to 3 and their costs increase by $600k. Inverse relationship. Imagine the cost increase if the limit is reduced to zero. Or if all collection is eliminated in favour of a retro self-serve drive-thru at the landfill.

Sort only the valuable stuff. Turn the rest into electricity.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but since garbage is handled by the region, the town councilors don't get a vote. Only the regional and the mayor.

+100

I originally posted my support of the 3-bag limit back on page 2 of this thread, but that's when I thought it would actually save money. I don't have time to read all the technical reports but if it's true that this really does COST $600K/year (seriously??!) and if it's also true that it's providing only a 4 year extension to a problem that will manifest 30 years from now (again, seriously??!) then only a total moron would support this proposal.

Like rickp says, 30 years of future technological advances is a big factor. One that will certainly make a significant difference to the cost equation, vs. spending 600K+ per year now.

Assuming this flies, give every home 78 tags for the year. That way, the days you have less than 3 bags you can make up for it later when you have more.

Having said that, what stops the junk collectors that roam the streets the nights of bulk garbage from snagging $2 tags from all the garbage put out? I see a kijiji black market opportunity here. I guess we need to pay another $200k to make them one use tags

Yes, just the regional councillors. Tony and Colin post on this board, and Tony actually started the whole discussion off (again, thanks Tony - we like new, useful information!)

So I am hoping that they both come on and say why they are voting yay or nay for this motion. Which would then lead to 5 or more pages on point/counter-point and lots of arguing of of their positions.

I'd like to hear more about Report No. PW-70-12 "to add mixed plastics empty steel paint cans and spiral bound cardboard cans to the Region's Blue Box program starting April 1, 2013." Like how much it would cost. I'm liking this idea better than the bag tags because "Studies have shown the average household garbage contains 16% of plastic material such as thermoform plastics from baked goods, small yogurt and pudding cups, empty steel paint cans, baby formula containers and other plastic containers." Question: Is that 16% in addition to the plastics that are already recyclable? If so, the simple math on this is 16% * 30 years = (drum roll please)... 4.8 years worth of garbage. Equal to or better than the bag tag program. So if the cost is less than $600k per year, then this is the way to go first IMO.

How about just putting it to the residents to try to reduce the amount of garbage they put out and see what happens. Make a contest out of it. Maybe all they need to do is ask.

We (a family of 3) recycle and use the green bin and are always way over 3 bags....closer to 6 every 2 weeks. Question for those who are able to keep their bags under 3, are you recycling tissue paper and toilet paper rolls from your bathrooms too? Bathroom garbage is where I see we could do a better job.

Would lawn waste bags be included in the 3 bag limit or be over and above?