Grey Highlands rolls out new bins for garbage collection

The bins have rolled out in Grey Highlands.

The Municipality of Grey Highlands has completed its transition to a bin/cart system for garbage collection. The coming of the new year saw the new collection system implemented across Grey Highlands. Residents no longer put their garbage out in bags and their recycling in blue boxes. Garbage and recycling material are now placed at the curb in large carts/bins that are emptied directly into a collection truck.

On Jan. 18, Grey Highlands council met for the first time since the new system was implemented the first week of January.

Coun. Nadia Dubyk, council’s environmental services chair, provided an update about the rollout of the new system at the meeting.

“Thank you to staff for keeping on top of questions and concerns and addressing our community needs. Thank you very much to the community for being patient,” said Dubyk, who acknowledged that the municipality experienced some issues with the implementation of the new system.

Dubyk said the massive winter storm over Christmas delayed bin/cart delivery to some areas of the municipality. She also noted that the subcontractor delivering the carts experienced some software issues, but said those problems have been cleared up.

“At this point, everybody should have their carts,” she said.

Dubyk said she has received positive, negative and indifferent feedback about the new system from local residents and said the municipality will continue to work through any issues that arise.

“We do know there are still some pain points. We will work with community members to make things easier,” she said, adding that a full report about the introduction of the new system would come to council soon.

Full details about the new system can be found online here. Dubyk said if any resident has experienced a missed collection, they can contact contractor Waste Management directly at 1-888-730-3344.

Mayor Paul McQueen said that a number of residents have asked about how the new system separates garbage and recycling collection. McQueen noted from watching the collection system in action, it is very fast and said that led to him hearing the comment: “it looks like (garbage and recycling material are) going to the same spot (in the collection truck).”

McQueen explained that there are multiple compartments in the collection truck for garbage and recycling and the operator can switch between them during collection.

“It’s actually pretty slick,” he said.