The Region of Waterloo’s new waste management system now enters week three of operations.
Crews were operating the new trucks around the region throughout the first two weeks, picking up the new carts from in front of residences and getting adjusted to the new system.
“It’s been going really well,” said Olivia Kwok, director of waste management for the Region of Waterloo. “This week has gone really smooth.”
March 3 was the first day of the new system, and Kwok noted that operators got more comfortable with the new system as week one transitioned into week two.
“Now they’re becoming more comfortable,” said Kwok. “They’re getting into a rhythm of using the equipment. We’ve heard feedback from residents who are watching at home who are really excited to see the carts and the trucks in action.”
The first two weeks weren’t completely smooth sailing. Kwok noted that the region has opened 3,000 cases since the new system began, responding to messages from residents who had issues, questions, complaints or concerns.
“A lot of them were premature submissions because we were running a day late. There were a lot of enquiries about what was going on, whether they had the right day, so we’ve been working through those cases just to clear those off, so it definitely is slowing down.”
Kwok went on to claim that operations were running on schedule in week two.
On Friday, crews were brought in from out of region to assist with waste collection.
“Simply just to help with the workload so that the local staff can get some well-deserved rest,” said Kwok. “They thought to make sure everyone got home safely. It’s been a long two weeks for them. I think they just did that to give some recognition and appreciation for their team.”
Although additional crews were brought in from regions such as Peel Region, they were still contracted Emterra employees, so the extra help did not incur a cost to the Region of Waterloo, according to Kwok.
