April 8, 1999
To:Budget Committee
From:Commissioner, Works and Emergency Services
Subject:Summer Twice A Week Garbage Collection
Purpose
To determine the impact and feasibility of extending summer twice-a-week residential
garbage collection to other high need areas in the City.
Funding Sources: Financial Implications and Impact Statement
The recommendations in this report will not impact the 1999 Operating Budget.
Recommendation
It is recommended that Staff report to Works and Utilities Committee by October, 1999 with
the proposed eligibility criteria for residential areas that would receive summer twice-a-week
garbage collection in 2000, including the associated cost impacts.
Background
The Budget Committee, at its meeting on April 6, 1999, requested the Commissioner of
Works and Emergency Services to report back on expanding the summer twice-a-week
garbage collection to the high need areas in the City.
Discussion
The former City of Toronto's Executive Committee Report No. 11 for City Council
consideration at Meeting No. S11 on March 24, 1997, recommended that summer
twice-a-week garbage collection to be continued on a permanent basis, and that the areas
receiving twice-a-week collection be those included in Appendix 2 of a report from the
Commissioner of City Works Services dated December 6, 1996.
The City Works Services Department of the former City of Toronto in 1996 and 1997 issued
numerous reports concerning twice-a-week garbage collection, in which the 36 garbage
collection areas within the city were ranked with respect to measurable property attributes or
factors that may have an impact on the necessity for twice-a-week garbage collection in the
summer months. Each collection area was ranked on the following three criteria and the
resultant rankings were combined to determine an overall ranking for each collection area in
the City:
1.Annual garbage generation (kilograms) per property.
2.Annual garbage generation (kilograms) per metre of residential frontage.3.Annual garbage generation (kilograms) per net square metre of residential area. (Net
residential area is gross residential property area minus building footprint area.)
Items 2 and 3 address the potential garbage storage space available in the specific area. High
generation of garbage in areas where either property frontage or net area available for storage
is low could cause summertime odour problems. A subsequent review of the participation of
households in the twice-a-week collection area indicated that 53 per cent of the households
continued to put their garbage once per week. It should be noted that the frontage and net area
information is available and maintained in the Toronto Community Council Area's Land Use
Information System, but similar information is not readily available for the remaining
Community Council Areas.
The collection areas that were ranked in the top 13 were selected as eligible for twice-a-week
collection in the summer. The limit to 13 collection areas was predicated on available
collection vehicles. The current twice-a-week summer collection area serving an estimated
50,000 households, is approximately the same as the areas represented by Wards 20 and 21,
with some twice-a-week collection in Wards 23 and 24.
The former City of Toronto Councillors in Wards 24 and 25 who had three collection areas
ranked in the top 13, representing approximately 15,000 households, declined twice-a-week
summer collection. The remaining collection areas are clustered in the west end of the
Toronto Community (portions of Wards 19, 20, 21, 23 and 24).
If the criteria previously adopted in the Community Council Area of Toronto for the summer
twice-a-week garbage collection are applied to other parts of the City, we estimate that up to a
maximum of 100,000 households may be eligible for the service at a total annual cost of
approximately $0.8 million at the maximum level of households. The potential areas which
may meet the criteria for summer twice-a-week garbage collection are shown on the attached
map. This total includes the existing 50,000 households served in the Toronto Community
Council Areas as shown on the attached map at a cost of approximately $200,000 a year.
With respect to expanding the summer twice-a-week collection to other high need areas in the
City, it is impossible to start the service this year due to operational restrictions. In the areas of
the City where curbside collection is contracted, there is a need to negotiate with contractors
during the term of these contracts. In areas where curbside collection is provided by municipal
forces, additional trucks will have to be purchased to provide summer twice-a-week
collection. Furthermore, it will be necessary to reprint an additional summer collection
calendar to reduce confusion by residents concerning the correct collection day for different
materials.
It is proposed that a report be brought forward by October,1999 which develops the eligibility
criteria for, and evaluates the impact of, summer twice-a-week garbage collection in areas of
high waste generation and limited storage space, and allows for a Council decision prior to the
year 2000 summer season and consideration in the Year 2000 Operating Budget review.
Conclusions
Based on the operational considerations outlined in this report, it is recommended that Staff
report to Works and Utilities Committee by October, 1999 with the proposed eligibility
criteria for residential areas that would receive summer twice-a-week garbage collection in
2000, including the associated cost impacts.
Contact Name and Telephone Number
Andrew Pollock
Director, Policy and Planning
Solid Waste Management Services
Works And Emergency Services
Metro Hall, 19th Floor
Phone: (416) 392-4715
Fax: (416) 392-4754
E-Mail: andy_pollock@metrodesk.metrotor.on.ca
Angelos BacopoulosBarry H Gotteridge
General ManagerCommissioner
Solid Waste Management Services Works and Emergency Services
AS:RS
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