Things will soon look a bit different at the end of the curb as the Region of Waterloo continues its push to overhaul the waste collection process, with a major deadline fast approaching on the delivery of its collection carts.
Two weeks remain for residents to decide which size cart they’d prefer to sit outside their home. Residents are able to change from the standard 240 litre black cart down to the smaller 120 litre option instead.
The deadline given by the region to make that choice is Sept. 5.
“We’ve already started production of the carts. We just want to make sure that we still give an opportunity for residents to choose a small garbage cart if they want,” Olivia Kwok, the Director of Waste Management with the Region of Waterloo, said.
It comes as the region currently provides waste collection for upwards of 170,000 homes.
Kwok stated that the decision to update the system was not a decision out of the blue, but rather one that coincided with changes in its ongoing collection contracts.
“The contract with our current service providers is coming to an end,” she said. “What happens is, when we were putting out the bid process for the new contract for 2026 and beyond, we recognized it’s really hard to get staff members to continue the manual collection.”
The new system will make it so that the carts themselves can be picked up directly by the trucks rather than by the workers, said to improve overall safety and sanitation for those who have to handle the trash each week.
Kwok said the research had been properly done into the new system before the changes were made. A similar process is being used across much of the province.
“In municipalities across Ontario and in North America, a lot of the communities are collecting waste through carts, so it’s becoming a best management practice. That’s because of safety reasons, it’s also for efficiencies, cleanliness, but the biggest reason is just to be able to get the work done.”
The new system will only impact the collection of garbage and organic waste, meaning the current system for recycling collection will stay the same.
“In March of 2024, the recycling program transitioned to the circular materials group, so this is something separate. Anything with recycling would be done by that organization. We’re just focusing on carts for garbage and organics, which are provided by the region.”
Residents across Waterloo Region can find the full list of details, including where to opt for the smaller cart option, directly on the Region of Waterloo’s website.
