GUELPH – Wellington County council officially approved the expansion of leaf and yard waste services on Sept. 24.
Seasonal curbside collection of leaf and yard waste is part of the county’s new curbside collection contract which began in July.
The expanded program will double the pick-up opportunities by providing monthly curbside collection of leaf and yard waste in urban areas from April through November.
Residents may also drop off leaf and yard waste to any county waste facility at no charge.
All material will be composted, not sent to landfill.
Councillor Gregg Davidson, chair of the solid waste services committee, told council that services are an enhancement to an earlier plan, which would have seen the county pick up leaf and yard waste only four times a year and tipping fees applied to any material brought to transfer stations or the county’s landfill site.
“Some of residents were accustomed to a higher level of service from the (member) municipalities and they have been calling and making requests that the county do more,” Davidson explained.
“Curbside collection also left our rural residents unhappy as they were being asked to drop off leaf and yard waste at our transfer stations and all our facilities and that leaf and yard waste was being collected as garbage and sent to our landfill.
“And, on top of that, residents who did bring it in to those facilities had to pay a fee.”
When using the curbside service, all material must be placed in paper leaf and yard waste bags or in clearly marked reusable containers and small branches should be bundled into small bundles.
No loose materials will be accepted.
Separate brush from leaf and yard waste
At waste facilities, leaf and yard waste must be separated from brush, and can be placed bagged or loose into the appropriate drop-off areas, beginning Oct. 1 until the beginning of December.
In future years, the free drop-off at waste facilities will be available from approximately April through November.
“This is an important service expansion for county residents,” stated Warden Kelly Linton in a press release.
“Expanding leaf and yard waste collection is another example of the county’s commitment to environmental excellence.”
Davidson stated, “The increased opportunities for residents to divert material from our one and only landfill site will extend the life of the landfill, and turn the collected material into valuable compost, which can be used on farms and gardens in Wellington County.”
A report from solid waste services manager Das Soligo estimates it will cost about $130,000 to process a full year’s worth of leaf and yard waste, collected at both waste facilities and via curbside collection.
The report notes an increase in waste disposal tipping fees in 2021 is expected to more than offset any reduction in tipping fee revenues resulting from free leaf and yard waste drop-off.
More information on the leaf and yard waste management and this fall’s urban curbside collection schedule is available on at www.wellington.ca/yardwaste.
Upgrades planned
Also at the meeting council approved inclusion of upgrades to waste transfer stations at Elora and Rothsay in the county’s 10-year capital plan.
The two stations are the only ones in the county system without a scale house, weigh scales or paved grounds.
A new retaining wall is also required at the Elora site.
Davidson said upgrades would be completed over a two-year period, with completion anticipated in Elora in 2022 and Rothsay in 2023.
Cost of improvements in Elora are estimated at $1.35 million, while the Rothsay site upgrades are expected to cost about $450,000.
