Bi-Weekly Garbage Collection?

GrumpyCanadian · 2025-08-08T05:37:32+00:00

In all their wisdom, it seems that Montreal wants to force bi-weekly garbage collection on us. So far, it’s not quite clear if that means that recycling and organic waste pick-up will also switch to bi-weekly collection, but many are not thrilled with the idea. Personally, I think the idea stinks (literally!). In some boroughs, where this is already in place, there are complaints about rats, the stench and the mess. I know that some other major Canadian cities have been dealing with this for years. So, what are your experiences? Toronto is apparently among the cities that have done this. Toronto is also said to have a rat problem. Could there be some connection? I am sure that this won’t be without problems. For one thing, pet waste does not qualify as compostable organic waste. That means that some residents will have turds, etc. in their garbage, baking in the sun for two weeks and producing a lovely distinctive odour. My specific problem is that the “brown bins” (for organic waste) don’t close securely enough. A few times, I had documented evidence of a critter getting in, making the bin fall over and leaving things strewn on the walkway. In a few cases, this led to a bin that was subsequently full of maggots and flies by collection day. They need a better locking mechanism. Also, if organic waste will be moved to bi-weekly pick-up, they will need to issue larger bins. Then, as the article points out, the majority of people in Montreal are not using the brown bins. A quick look around my area the night before the collection suggests that this is true. Clearly, if, as Ms. Mauger said, people “want to do more to be part of the solution”, they would make the effort to use those bins. In my area, we have had them since Denis Coderre was in (municipal) office. People have had ample time to start composting, if they were so inclined. The fact that they still aren’t doing it suggests that they don’t intend to, and that she is at least a little delusional. With an election in the not-too-distant future, there are some key questions: will Projet Montréal still be running the show? Will Mauger still be around? Will their potential replacements still press ahead with the changes? Montreal faces pushback over biweekly trash collection

Hydraglass

Dks01 People may not like it, but they can’t vote for or against it. It’s an operational decision.

Not necessarily true - by making it a major town issue it will become a municipal election issue and prospective council members can run “pro more garbage pickup” as a campaign issue and if you can get enough town council who are “pro more garbage pickup” elected next October then they will get what they want and get weekly garbage pickup back.

The key is making garbage a major issue in the election and making candidates take a stance on it - and one way of doing that is by a majority of the population civilly disobeying like our poster here causing trash to be a visible nuisance and annoyance that then gets dragged into the election and then they get what they want.

Dks01

Hydraglass That is not what the OP said. They said they voted against changing to bi-weekly pickup. I call that on BS.

Of course a candidate can adopt weekly pickup as a part of a platform. But that’s voting for a candidate, not keeping the status quo for garbage pickup. Nor does it mean that such a platform would be successful, given the vagaries of municipal budgets and politics. It would be even harder today with strong mayor powers.

urbanriot

urbanriot Taxes went up here.
Dks01 Which is an totally empty statement. At best, an opinion.

uh, no it’s a fact. Our property taxes most certainly went up as was broadcasted by the municipal and regional governments with the percentage points they increased.

Dks01 You provide no evidence, no proof and no understanding of how your taxes are calculated.

Why would I? We’re not having a discussion about that, you’re just going out of your way to argue for the sake of arguing about nothing anyone is discussing.

Dks01 But it is unrelated to your garbage going from once a week pickup to once every two weeks pickup.

Which is an totally empty statement. At best, an opinion. You provide no evidence, no proof and no understanding of how our taxes are calculated.

Dks01 Which is about as useless as blowing into a hurricane.

Wrong. Not only does it make people feel better, the fact that citizens were doing this in protest was picked up by the local news outlets when we did it in unison.

Dks01 We also don’t have referenda on garbage pickup in Canada. People may not like it, but they can’t vote for or against it.

Not exactly, our region did issue a survey for citizens to fill out.

mrweather

At least around here, policing takes up the biggest chunk of the municipal budget.

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