On Monday, Richmond city council rubber stamped a $225,000 pilot program for single-family home garbage collection that will see some residents receive brand new wheeled garbage carts.
About 1,600 single-family homes and townhomes will get the carts - similar to the existing green organics carts - in the last week of February and garbage collection begins as early as March 3. The program aims to evaluate capacity and frequency of garbage collection and align it with recycling and waste diversion, according to a staff report.
If the pilot program is accepted citywide, residents will need to find a new use for their existing garbage bins or dispose of them.
The pilot program will divide the group of homes in two to assess different methods of collecting garbage with the new bins.
Homes in the South Arm neighbourhood, bound west to east by No. 2 and No. 4 roads and north to south by Williams Road and Steveston Highway, will have weekly collection of 120 litres of garbage every Wednesday.
Meanwhile, homes in the East Cambie neighbourhood will have bi-weekly collection of 240 litres of garbage. Those homes are situated in the quadrant bounded by Garden City and No.4 roads and Capstan Way and Cambie Road as well as the quadrant bounded by No. 4 and Shell roads and Cambie Road and Alderbridge Way.
After 120-and 240-litre carts are delivered residents will have an option to choose 80-and 360-litre carts should they have different needs.
If changes are made the residents will not be charged, however they will be told of pricing differences between cart sizes that may be imposed after the pilot..
The city chose the locations for logistical and demographic purposes and kept the areas relatively small knowing one of the groups will need to return their carts when a decision is made as to the best collection process.
Sierra Waste Services will deliver the carts and evaluate the data.
In addition to the costs associated with implementation an additional councilapproved $100,000 is needed "for additional time requirements associated with servicing carts as opposed to cans" as well as evaluating the program to make on-going adjustments.
The money comes from the existing utilities budget.
