County of Simcoe residents who don't participate in the organics program may get more than a gentle nudge to get on board.
At a Committee of the Whole meeting this week, county councillors were reintroduced to the benefits of mandatory participation by residents in the collection of organics.
In May 2024, the county's solid waste management staff presented a plan to toughen measures, but councillors suggested the focus should be on promotion and education to increase participation in the organics program instead of enforcement.
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According to an audit, 43,716 tonnes of curbside garbage was disposed of last year, and 46 per cent was organic material that should have been placed in the organics cart.
"On a weekly basis, approximately 25 per cent of residents do not participate in the organics program. The 25 per cent that do not participate account for 44 per cent of the organics found in the garbage," stated a staff report.
Another reason staff is pursuing a mandatory organics program is diminishing landfill capacity.
"The county has two remaining landfills: Nottawasaga landfill will be closing later this year, and the Oro landfill, which will reach capacity in 2027," according to the staff report.
If a mandatory organics participation is implemented successfully, it will increase the organics capture rate from 54.3 per cent to 60, per cent by 2028, which would save the county about $30,000 per year.
"More significantly, increasing the capture of organics by 75 per cent could yield annual savings exceeding $130,000," the report said.
During door-to-door visits to 90 households, the county found that 71 per cent of them put all their organic waste in the garbage, and 23 per cent had backyard composters.
According to the report, all residents who had a backyard composter had organics in their garbage cart. They indicated they used the garbage cart for items that did not belong in the backyard composter or were unaware that other materials could go in the cart.
The remaining six per cent had other reasons for not using the green bin, including putting organics in a field or forest for animals to eat.
If county councillors approve the plan at their next meeting in August, staff is recommending a soft start date of November 1. At that time, collection crews would collect all garbage placed at the curb and leave a cart hanger to inform residents of the upcoming changes.
Then on December 1, the new program would be fully implemented.
"All locations that do not have an organics cart placed out for collection with their garbage cart will not receive garbage collection," the report stated.
If the new program is approved, it's estimated there would be a 10 to 20 per cent increase in organics tonnage.
"The program will require significant promotion and education when implemented, which is estimated to be a one-time cost of $125,000," the report indicated.
The delivery fee for organic carts would be reduced to $25 from October 1 until December 31 for residents who require them.
This program would not include the cities of Barrie and Orillia, which have their own waste collection programs.
