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Dog waste and plastic bags would be allowed in green bins by mid-2019 under a proposed alteration to city’s contract with Orgaworld, while stopping taxpayer money from being thrown away under the deal.
The city reveals the proposal in a lengthy report to council published Monday night, raising the possibility of finally ending years of disputes with the company and potentially making the green bin a more popular choice for families who have turned their noses to recycling organic waste.
“The negotiations concluded in December 2017, and have resulted in a recommended amended Orgaworld contract that will, for the remaining 12 years of the contract, provide better value to the city than the status quo,” the report says.
Accepting dog waste and plastic bags would cost the city another $626,000 annually, the report says. The number could change each year depending on inflation and the city’s growth. The city says the average household would pay 15 cents extra per month. It would be better than the current terms of the contract, which say the cost would be $3.5 million annually for dog waste and plastic bags, the report says.
Allowing plastic bags in the green bin has been seen as the difference-maker in getting more households to separate their organics from the regular garbage. The city has heard that people are grossed out by keeping food scraps in a paper bag or newspapers. Under the proposed changes, households won’t have to buy special bags for the bins; they can just use a plastic bag.
The rejigged agreement would keep the city as the Orgaworld plant’s primary customer and avoid having the company accept out-of-city residential waste, including diapers and sanitary waste.
Green bin pickup started in 2010 under a 20-year contract with Orgaworld. The city also transitioned to biweekly garbage pickup, but it kept alternating pickup weeks between the black bin and blue bin. According to the city, the scheme has saved about $10 million since 2012.
The city and Orgaworld have had an acrimonious relationship. Legal disputes continue to his day. One of the longest-standing disagreements has to do with whether or not Orgaworld should accept leaf and yard waste.
A scathing audit of the green bin program released in 2014 revealed that an annual 80,000-tonne “put-or-pay” requirement under the contract was unrealistic. The proposed new agreement would eliminate payments to Orgaworld for capacity not used by the city and drop the put-or-pay weight to 75,000 tonnes, avoiding $2.7 million in throwaway costs.
While the auditor general suggested the city consider cancelling the green bin contract, the city believes it would only cost taxpayers more money and tie them up in more litigation. It wouldn’t stop Orgaworld from continuing to operate by taking organic waste from other municipalities, the city says.
The proposed new deal would end all legal disputes.
According to the report, Orgaworld would spend $9.4 million on upgrades to its plant, including $4 million for better odour control and processing measures.
Since dog waste could be accepted in green bins, the city is considering a pilot program that would put green bins in dog parks.
Compostable plastic packages, such as coffee pods, still wouldn’t be allowed in the green bin.
“An improved, more convenient waste-collection service, and better value for money, are significant benefits of the proposed revised contract with Orgaworld,” Mayor Jim Watson said in a written statement. “I am pleased that the city is recommending in this report an improved approach to organics diversion, making it easier for residents to keep this material out of our landfills and ending an ongoing legal conflict with our contractor.”
The city is aiming to sign the new contract with Orgaworld by May 1.
Council’s environment committee will consider the contract changes during a meeting next Monday. Council will then be asked to ratify the committee’s decision two days later.
jwilling@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JonathanWilling
查看原文...
The city reveals the proposal in a lengthy report to council published Monday night, raising the possibility of finally ending years of disputes with the company and potentially making the green bin a more popular choice for families who have turned their noses to recycling organic waste.
“The negotiations concluded in December 2017, and have resulted in a recommended amended Orgaworld contract that will, for the remaining 12 years of the contract, provide better value to the city than the status quo,” the report says.
Accepting dog waste and plastic bags would cost the city another $626,000 annually, the report says. The number could change each year depending on inflation and the city’s growth. The city says the average household would pay 15 cents extra per month. It would be better than the current terms of the contract, which say the cost would be $3.5 million annually for dog waste and plastic bags, the report says.
Allowing plastic bags in the green bin has been seen as the difference-maker in getting more households to separate their organics from the regular garbage. The city has heard that people are grossed out by keeping food scraps in a paper bag or newspapers. Under the proposed changes, households won’t have to buy special bags for the bins; they can just use a plastic bag.
The rejigged agreement would keep the city as the Orgaworld plant’s primary customer and avoid having the company accept out-of-city residential waste, including diapers and sanitary waste.
Green bin pickup started in 2010 under a 20-year contract with Orgaworld. The city also transitioned to biweekly garbage pickup, but it kept alternating pickup weeks between the black bin and blue bin. According to the city, the scheme has saved about $10 million since 2012.
The city and Orgaworld have had an acrimonious relationship. Legal disputes continue to his day. One of the longest-standing disagreements has to do with whether or not Orgaworld should accept leaf and yard waste.
A scathing audit of the green bin program released in 2014 revealed that an annual 80,000-tonne “put-or-pay” requirement under the contract was unrealistic. The proposed new agreement would eliminate payments to Orgaworld for capacity not used by the city and drop the put-or-pay weight to 75,000 tonnes, avoiding $2.7 million in throwaway costs.
While the auditor general suggested the city consider cancelling the green bin contract, the city believes it would only cost taxpayers more money and tie them up in more litigation. It wouldn’t stop Orgaworld from continuing to operate by taking organic waste from other municipalities, the city says.
The proposed new deal would end all legal disputes.
According to the report, Orgaworld would spend $9.4 million on upgrades to its plant, including $4 million for better odour control and processing measures.
Since dog waste could be accepted in green bins, the city is considering a pilot program that would put green bins in dog parks.
Compostable plastic packages, such as coffee pods, still wouldn’t be allowed in the green bin.
“An improved, more convenient waste-collection service, and better value for money, are significant benefits of the proposed revised contract with Orgaworld,” Mayor Jim Watson said in a written statement. “I am pleased that the city is recommending in this report an improved approach to organics diversion, making it easier for residents to keep this material out of our landfills and ending an ongoing legal conflict with our contractor.”
The city is aiming to sign the new contract with Orgaworld by May 1.
Council’s environment committee will consider the contract changes during a meeting next Monday. Council will then be asked to ratify the committee’s decision two days later.
jwilling@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JonathanWilling
查看原文...
