The City of Winnipeg is seeking input on the option of fining homeowners who contaminate their recycle and garbage bins.
A public consultation is now asking if people support fines for repeatedly placing prohibited items in the carts.
“Up to 26 per cent of material in the recycling stream is contaminated material… There’s certain materials, like a soiled diaper or if oil is put in a recycling cart, (that) might contaminate a full load,” said Richard Bolton, a City of Winnipeg solid waste services planner.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
The City of Winnipeg is seeking input on the option of fining homeowners who contaminate their recycle and garbage bins.
Bolton said the city’s solid waste bylaw allows such fines but the city takes an “education first” approach and rarely hands out penalties.
“What this option is looking at… (is) if residents see there’s value in placing more resources toward the enforcement program generally,” he said, noting education would continue.
Bolton said contamination can affect garbage bins, too, since material such as car batteries and cinder blocks aren’t allowed in household trash bins.
Education is a critical first step to ensuring people know what should go in their garbage and recycling bins, said Karrie Blackburn, sales and customer service lead for Compost Winnipeg (an agency of the Green Action Centre).
Once it’s clear residents are aware of the expectations, fines could be effective, said Blackburn.
“(It shouldn’t) be handing out fines to people who are ignorant of the rules. It’s going to be at a point when everyone has a good understanding, everyone’s been informed of… the expectations. Then yes, having fines is something that can help to keep people motivated,” she said.
It’s not clear whether city council would approve the enforcement. The head of the water, waste and environment committee said he expects fines would be difficult to dole out.
“I don’t support it. I think it’s dead on arrival… We don’t have enough staff to enforce our current bylaws. Now we’re going to go out and come up with a back lane police force to check out your recycling bin to see if you’ve got something (unacceptable) in there? It’s just not a good use of resources,” said Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital).
For example, he said neighbours could add trash to others’ unlocked bins, such as dog poop.
Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) said he thinks fines should only be considered as a last resort, after education and a one-time pickup suspension at an offender’s home fail to change behaviour.
“I think this is more to do with people who treat their recycling bins potentially as a second garbage bin… (An earlier) step, in my mind, would be to stop the pickup rather than (issue) fines,” said Browaty.
The public consultation on waste pickups will explore several other ideas, including the potential to create food waste drop-offs at 4R depots, community centres, community gardens, apartments and/or condos before a citywide curbside green bin program starts up. That broader program is currently expected to begin in 2030, though council has ordered a report on ways to speed it up.
Blackburn said the organic waste drop-offs would offer an accessible composting option.
“I absolutely love it. Right now, the options for organic waste diversion in our city (for residential is the) Compost Winnipeg (paid service). We’re a small organization of 12 people with eight trucks. We cannot possibly serve an entire city door-to-door. With the city’s plan to roll out a green cart program in 2030, that’s still more than five years away. That is a lot of waste that (could) be kept out of the landfills (in the meantime),” she said.
Mayes said he remains focused on ensuring council makes key decisions to finalize a permanent city-wide composting program next month, though interim drop-offs could be considered if they don’t delay that work.
“Let’s come up with a plan and actually do something instead of endless policy documents and pilot projects,” he said.
The city will hold two drop-in open houses for its waste management consultation: June 13 at 1 Forks Market Rd., from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and June 20 at Cindy Klassen Recreation Complex from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
A survey is also available at wfp.to/wastestrategy until June 27.
A report to council with final recommendations is expected in the winter.
joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca
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Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter
Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
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