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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Better get your Christmas leftovers and discarded wrapping paper in the trash before Jan.1. That's the date the city implements its reduced curbside garbage pickup limit of two bags.

The current limit is three 77-litre trash bags or bins per week. Additional bags require residents to attach a $1 tag, which can be purchased at city hall, the Fieldhouse, Yellowknife Direct Co-op, and the two Reddi-Mart convenience stores.

The reduced bag limit comes as city council prepares to debate a proposal to increase the solid waste levy attached to residential water bills to $17 from $12.

Council put the new bag limit into motion during a special council meeting May 27, but the issue remains a sore point for some.

Coun. David Wind called the reduced limit "regressive" and "wrong-headed" during Monday's municipal services committee meeting.

He said it will be difficult on larger families and may lead to dumped garbage in undeveloped areas in town or along roadsides.

This would create further costs for the city as staff would have to go and pick the trash up. Wind said if he had the opportunity, he "would be prepared to move a motion at the next meeting of council designed to maintain the limit at the current three-bag per household unit."

Coun. Paul Falvo said viewing the positives of a two-bag limit is a matter of perspective.

"It is a question of being responsible and charging according to what people consume and what people use," Falvo argued.

"It is true that someone with a larger family will produce more garbage, but at the same time someone with a larger family is going to get a higher bill when they go and eat at a restaurant or if they are buying plane tickets or something like that.

"On the other hand, somebody with a smaller family could argue that they are paying disproportionately more for school fees and recreational taxes or things like that."

Falvo said he is open to making the process easier for people, however, he wants to make sure it is done in a "fiscally responsible" way.

Coun. Bob Brooks, who last May argued a two-bag limit wasn't feasible until the city offers a blue box recycling program, said Monday that people have had plenty of time to prepare for the reduced limit.

"It is a natural phasing in and indeed it has been one year longer, I believe, than originally intended," he said.

"The reason I think it is a good system is because our family - and as most people know, we have a large household - has reduced to one to one-and-a-half bags for the last three years."

Coun. Amanda Mallon said she has received a number of e-mails in the past two years from residents who are panicking at the thought of having to reduce their trash output and may simply need advice as to how to make waste disposal easier.

"I don't agree with penalizing people if they have more than two bags of garbage," she said. "I would like to look for ways of rewarding people if we can find a way do it."

Coun. Mark Heyck said the public works department is going to allow "a three-month grace period" up to April 1. This mean residents won't have to buy garbage tags for putting out three bags until this later date.

How will the two-bag garbage limit affect your family?

Jonathan Churcher

"I can handle it. I think it is a great idea because we can do better in terms of garbage. I think it will make me think about the packaging on the products that I buy and that it will reduce the amount of garbage material I get."

Peter Fast

"I am in support of it because as individuals we have a responsibility to reduce the amount of garbage we produce. However, I think we should also pressure corporations to reduce wasteful packaging also."

Penelope Kocik

"There are only three in our household so it won't affect us ... But with a family with two to three kids there is no way to do it especially with little kids. I think there should be tags also so that if people go away on holidays, they can make up for the weeks they missed."

Sue Glowach

"For my family it is not a big deal because we have been reduced in numbers in recent years and we put out two bags a week now. But I think the limitation should be flexible and should be based on the size of the family."

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