Summer Twice-a-Week Garbage Collection

The Works Committee submits the following report (December 20, 1999) from the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services without recommendation:

Purpose:

To provide implementation plans and costs related to the three-year phase-in of twice-a-week summer garbage collection, and to respond to the Works Committee request to report back on a process for surveying communities or neighbourhoods to determine their interest in twice-a-week collection.

Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

The additional operating costs associated with implementing twice-per-week summer garbage collection are as follows:

2000 $ 900,000.00 (including $300,000.00 for existing twice-a-week summer

collection)

2001 $ 900,000.00

2002 $1,450,000.00

Total: $3,250,000.00

The 2000 cost estimate includes $300,000.00 currently budgeted for summer twice-a-week garbage collection in a portion of the Toronto Community plus $600,000.00 for summer twice-a-week garbage collection in the North York Community. The total costs for twice-a-week summer collection across the City are estimated at $3.25 million.

The additional operating costs will be included in the Department's 2000 Operating Budget request.

Recommendations:

It is recommended, based on Council's direction to phase-in twice-per-week summer garbage collection across the City over a three-year period, that:

(1) twice-a-week summer curbside garbage collection operate from the last week of June to the last week of August (10 weeks) annually;

(2) for 2000, twice-a-week summer curbside garbage collection be provided in North York, as well as the west section of Toronto which has been receiving this service;

(3) for 2001, twice-a-week summer curbside garbage collection be implemented in the remainder of the Toronto Community; and

(4) for 2002, twice-a-week summer curbside garbage collection be implemented in Etobicoke, East York, York and Scarborough.

Background:

At its meeting on December 1, 1999, the Works Committee received a report and heard a presentation by Northstar Research Partners regarding the results of a public survey on the need for twice-a-week garbage collection in the City of Toronto.

The Works Committee:

(1) received the aforementioned report;

(2) requested that a copy of the report and presentation be forwarded to all Members of Council; and

(3) requested the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services to report back to the Committee with a process for surveying communities or neighbourhoods interested in twice-a-week collection, for consideration by the Committee.

The report also indicated that staff would be reporting back in January on an implementation plan for summer twice-a-week collection.

Discussion:

Staff have reviewed the concept of surveying on a neighbourhood basis to determine the need for twice-per-week garbage collection, and are of the opinion that it is not a viable undertaking. The Northstar survey has already provided clear feedback at the community level, and conducting a similar survey at the neighbourhood level would be cost prohibitive. Furthermore, even if such a survey was undertaken, attempting to implement twice-per-week summer garbage collection on a neighbourhood by neighbourhood basis would pose significant logistical problems from an operational perspective. This approach would also create confusion, and likely some complaints, in adjacent neighbourhoods that do not receive the additional service. For these reasons, it is recommended that if Council wants twice-per-week summer garbage collection, it should be provided across the City to all single family households.

Based on Council's previous decision to phase-in twice-per-week summer garbage collection over a three-year period, we would recommend the following implementation schedule:

2000 - North York Community and part of Toronto Community;

2001 - remainder of the Toronto Community; and

2002 - Etobicoke, Scarborough, East York and York Communities.

The rationale for this implementation schedule is as follows:

(1) It is staff's understanding, based on the discussions of the Budget Committee in April 1999, that twice-a-week summer collection was to be implemented in North York in 2000.

(2) According to the Northstar survey, North York residents, followed by Toronto residents, have the highest level of support for this service.

(3) Curbside garbage collection service is provided by City crews in North York and Toronto, which allows for some flexibility in adjusting service levels. York and Etobicoke collection service is contracted out, with the contracts expiring on June 30, 2001 and July 10, 2002, respectively. Implementation in Etobicoke may have to be delayed until after July 10, 2002, to correspond with the start of the new contract.

The estimated annual operating costs for introducing twice-per-week summer garbage collection for ten weeks (from the last week of June to the last week of August ) are as follows:

North York $ 600,000.00

Toronto $1,200,000.00 (including $300,000.00 for existing twice-a-week

collection)

Scarborough $ 600,000.00

Etobicoke $ 500,000.00

York $ 200,000.00

East York $ 150,000.00

$3,250,000.00

In the communities where collection is provided by City staff, the cost estimates were determined by calculating the cost of hiring additional casual workers during the summer months, increased operating expenses, production and distribution of a supplementary collection calendar and keeping additional trucks in the fleet to accommodate the truck requirements during the 10-week summer period. The cost of keeping the trucks results in a higher weekly cost for summer twice-per-week collection as compared to providing this service on a year-round basis.

For example, the annual cost savings associated with reducing garbage collection in North York from twice to once-per-week year-round were projected to be $1.2 million, based on taking 14 collection trucks off the road. The estimated cost for summer twice-per-week collection is one half that amount at $600,000.00, even through service is only being provided for 10 weeks of the year. The cost for summer twice-per-week collection in North York has been reduced from the original estimate of $800,000.00 due to our plans to now retain old packer trucks that were going to be retired from the fleet for the second collection day. This approach results in additional spare trucks and higher maintenance costs, but is less expensive than using trucks that have not been fully amortized. Although using old packers is cost effective for the North York community, we would not have sufficient old packers to use this approach across the City.

In the communities where collection is provided by private contractors, we will include a provision for summer twice-a-week collection in the tender documents.

Aside from the cost impacts, the other concerns about twice-per-week collection relate to the impact on garbage generation, recycling activity and greenhouse gas emissions. Experience in Toronto and other cities has shown that reducing garbage collection to once-per-week reduces garbage generation and increases recycling levels. Going back to twice-per-week collection may result in increased garbage generation and reduced recycling levels. Twice-a-week collection also increases the greenhouse gas emissions from our vehicle fleet during the summer months.

To address these concerns, staff examined the possibility of converting the second collection day to an organics collection day. One option is to convert the once-every-second-week yard waste collection during the summer to a weekly food and yard waste collection. The cost of implementing this option in the North York Community, assuming that each house is provided with 30 translucent plastic kitchen organics bags and collected material is transferred to a remote composting site, is estimated to be $850,000.00. The drawback to this option is that considerable promotional effort would be required to encourage residents to set out food waste separately, and then after ten weeks, a second promotional campaign would be required to tell residents to revert back to their previous set out practices. A smaller scale pilot project testing different containers and collection methods for organic material is the preferred approach. This is discussed in a separate report on the supplementary agenda for the January 12, 2000 Works Committee meeting.

Conclusions:

In view of Council's decision to implement twice-per-week summer curbside garbage collection, it is recommended that implementation commence in North York in 2000. Surveying individual neighbourhoods regarding their desire for twice-per-week summer garbage collection is not recommended.

Contact:

Andrew Pollock, Director, Policy and Planning

Solid Waste Management Services

Works and Emergency Services

Phone: 392-4715; Fax: 392-4754

E-mail: apolloc@toronto.ca

_________

The Works Committee reports, for the information of Council, having also had before it during consideration of the foregoing matter the following communications:

(i) (December 7, 1999) from Mr. Gordon and Ms. Barbara Bonn, Toronto, Ontario, expressing strong opposition to twice-a-week garbage pickup, and suggesting instead that the Works Committee seriously consider biweekly pickup; and

(ii) (January 11, 2000) from Ms. Karen Buck, Toronto, Ontario, with respect to diversion initiatives instead of summer twice-a-week collection.