GUELPH – Wellington County residents are being asked to avoid putting extra strain on the curbside waste pickup system.
As part of the county’s measures to limit transmission of the COVID-19 virus, all county waste facilities have been closed to the public until further notice.
Residents are being asked to use existing curbside collection services for their residential waste needs.
Collection is currently continuing on the regular schedule.
“If circumstances change, the county will share that information through social media,” the county states in a March 25 press release.
Anyone unsure of their local collection day is being urged refer to the Solid Waste Services (SWS) Information Calendar, which is also available on the county website.
“The county’s curbside collection contractor is working hard to maintain waste removal services for all residents,” states the release, which asks residents to refrain from placing extra waste at the curbside at this time “so we can pick up everyone’s waste.”
Spring clean-up waste should be stored or these activities deferred, officials state.
Residents are also being asked to consider composting food and yard waste and urged to use the county’s online resources. Residents who have waste disposal needs beyond standard bagged waste are asked to contact a commercial bin hauling company.
“The Solid Waste Services Division also understands that you may accumulate extra recyclables as you spend more time at home,” states the release.
Until further notice, recyclables will be collected from alternate rigid containers for those who cannot fit all their waste in blue boxes. However, SWS is not able to collect recyclables placed in bags.
“We are monitoring the challenges residents face with respect to changed waste management service levels,” said SWS manager Das Soligo.
“The main reason that we are continuing to use the yellow user pay bags to is to ensure that we are able to collect the increased volume of waste from our residents across the entire county.”
Residents with questions or concerns can call 519-837-2601 or email wasteinfo@wellington.ca.
The county is also reminding residents:
- garbage should be placed out by 7am to ensure it is collected;
- garbage must be in a county-issued user-pay garbage bag to be collected;
- a list of user-pay bag distributors is available online;
- recyclables should be sorted into two streams – one for paper, and one for containers;
- cardboard should be bundled, no greater than 60 x 60 x 30cm (2’x2’x1’), and placed beside blue boxes;
- user pay garbage bags, blue boxes, and cardboard bundles are limited to 18kg (40 pounds) each; and
- residents may use a garbage can to keep animals out of your garbage when placing it at the curb but must place only one use- pay garbage bag in each can.
