August 29, 2022

Grey Highlands moves to waste and recycling bin collection system

At the August 19 special Grey Highlands Council meeting, a resolution was passed to award the waste and recycling collection, processing and hauling contract to Waste Management Corporation of Canada.

"We look forward to working with Waste Management to meet the needs of all our residents and continue the continuity of service," says Director of Environmental Services Shawn Moyer.

The switch to the new system will begin on January 1, 2023, when the contract with the current provider ends. An RFP went out after the municipality was informed that Wilton's Sanitation could not extend its current contract that ends at the end of 2022.

Council approved the move from weekly to bi-weekly waste pick-up and to continue with bi-weekly recycling pick-up as a cost savings measure. To reduce the carbon footprint, Council approved 95-gallon bins for recycling and 64-gallon bins for waste.

Municipal staff will be working with the contractor over the coming months as there are a lot of elements to consider when reviewing a contract of this scale, including cost, public input, legislation, level of service, environmental impact and the community's future needs.

After negotiations are complete, Council will consider the draft by-law that includes the contract's schedule, routes, service areas and other important information.

Public input was provided through an online survey promoted from May 25 to July 6 on the municipal website, social media, and the newspaper. The public offered additional input via email, conversations with members of Council and staff and during two hybrid public information sessions.

"We look forward to working with Waste Management and are optimistic that staff can find solutions that deal with all the concerns raised by the public with curbside waste and recycling," says Mayor McQueen.

For more information, read the staff report and recommendations and FAQs.

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