Penticton residents will have their choice of similar bins for garbage, recyclables and yard waste pickup when the new cart program begins in 2016.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

PENTICTON - Penticton's new cart-based garbage collection program will also include pick-up of yard waste when it's implemented in 2016.

City staff asked council to approve the proposed cart program design at Monday’s council meeting.

Public Works Manager Len Robson told council a partial cart program wouldn’t work because any manual lifting of a garbage tote would require operators to toss bags over a barrier between two to three metres high to get them into the truck. Collection of yard waste in a separate truck would require additional manpower and equipment and double the carbon footprint, Robson said.

In order to handle the additional yard waste during peak periods in spring and fall, it was proposed to supplement bi-weekly yard waste collection by allowing residents to upgrade the size of their tote or receive an additional cart for free. Two additonal, unlimited collections of yard waste are proposed for fall pickup, along with one additional pick-up in spring.

During yard waste collection in March, residents will be allowed to place unlimited amounts of yard waste in brown paper bags, or bundled prunings, at the curb.

A tag-a-bag system is proposed for those who wish to leave additional bags during times not addressed by designated collection weeks, at a cost of $3.50 per bag.

Results of a telephone survey conducted by the city regarding garbage services in Penticton revealed most residents — 75 per cent — have a high level of satisfaction with present service offered, but more education is needed in order for residents to become better acquainted with the cart-based system. It was found 26 per cent are unsure or need more information about the program and 10 per cent are not supportive of the change at all.

The proposed cart program design will provide residents with a 135-litre cart for garbage that can be upgraded to 246-litres for an additional $112.20 annually.

A 24- litre recycle cart will be provided for bi-weekly collection of recyclables. The cart can be upgraded or downsized without extra charge, with a maximum of two recycle carts per property.

Yard waste will be collected in a 246-litre cart, utilizing bi-weekly collection from March to December. Residents will be allowed to upsize to a 360-litre cart for an additional $33 annually, or add a second cart for an additional $66 annually. Downsizing or eliminating the cart will not result in a fee reduction.

In the first three months of the program residents will be able to exchange their cart for an alternate size at no extra cost beyond the upsizing charges. An administrative fee will apply to changes made after the three-month period.

Residents with mobility issues can apply for assistance and those who qualify will be allowed to take recyclables and garbage to the curb in the container of their choice. 

Council agreed to approve the design for the cart program as presented by staff, including yard collection. The program is expected to be implemented by September 2016.

Below is a video that demonstrates how Penticton's automated cart-based collection program will collect garbage.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

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