SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A fresh batch of black bins were delivered to city residents this week, kicking off the Curbside Cart Program that will soon see mechanical, rather than human, arms picking up residents' trash.

Miles Barry, left, and Christian Cleveland deliver serial-coded garbage bins to single-family residences across Yellowknife on Monday. The code matches bins to every address, but residents can flag their own bin for easier distinction. - Randi Beers/NNSL photo

Along with the bins came a list of directions and diagrams illustrating where bins should be placed for collection, to ensure that the program rolls out smoothly next month.

By now, all single-family households should have received a black bin, and new garbage trucks will begin collecting waste out of them after Nov. 1.

"They just kind of appeared one day but there was probably a blurb in the weekly paper," said Con area resident Karen Rawson. "I know there was a lot of people with big questions."

Rawson said the program would not be a major change for her household but hoped that the move to mechanized garbage trucks would not result in any job losses.

"It's on my to-do list to figure out if we can fill the bin or if there's still a two-bag limit, and all of that," said Rawson.

The city has stated the two-bag limit and weekly pickup stands for all city households aside from those in Range Lake, which is the first neighbourhood to receive green bins for composting.

One change that will come with the program is the need for specific bin placement, in order to accommodate the new garbage trucks, which have the capacity to collect organic and regular waste, and will lift and dump the full bins using mechanical arms, said Wendy Alexander, manager of engineering with the city. She said two trucks would take to the road in November - one new and one retrofitted for the new process.

"It is intend to be that after the month of November, it is a completely automated system. There wont be any person touching the bin unless it is absolutely necessary," said Alexander. "Which is why we're asking people to pay close attention to where the bin is placed in November, because an extra employee will be on hand to place the bin where it needs to be."

The specific locations for bin pickup varies: curbside bins should be placed with 0.9 metres of clearance on either side and within 1.2 metres of the driving lane; for carts in back alleys, at least 4.3 metres of clearance from any overhead hazards is necessary; in a Cul-de-sac, bins should be placed in a line at the centre of the bottom of the road with all bins facing the same direction.

In areas with on-street parking, the 0.9 metres of clearance is still expected, though Alexander said the city is determining whether this will be in conflict.

"We are still working on the logistics where street parking is an issue but you would be expected to make sure that there is that clearance," Alexander said, adding that if bins were to be placed on the road they cannot be in the driving lane. "There are a couple of areas where it may become an issue but that is why we are currently looking at the solid waste bylaw."

While there may be some details to smooth out, Alexander said the city wanted the program in place before re-examining the bylaw and making any necessary changes, which would be geared toward making the system more efficient.

Residents with existing containers that are not a part of the program can drop them off at the Solid Waste Facility from Nov. 1 to 8, free of charge.

Alexander said the cost of the new bins came out of the city's capital program, rather than collection fees. According to the city website, no new fees will be introduced to residents as a result of the program.

"Garbage levies are not affected by us delivering you a bin," said Alexander. "The bins are being paid for out of capital projects, not garbage levies."

The black bins are half of the two-bin collection program that will ultimately see all residents separate refuse between the black garbage bin and a green compost bin, as part of the Curbside Organics Collection program. Alexander said the cost of the garbage collection portion in particular was not available, but the cost of the program, including the new trucks, would all come out of the composting budget for which just more than $500,000 was recommended out of the 2014 capital funds. The entire project, set to roll out over four years, is $2.7 million.

As of November, Range Lake will be the only neighbourhood with both black and green bins, with the program rolling out to other neighbourhoods over the next four years.

"It is intended to slowly roll out but Range Lake is the test neighbourhood, so if any major problems come up there, it can be corrected before it rolls out to other neighbourhoods," said Alexander.

Households with only a black bin will remain at the two-bag limit for garbage within the bin, whereas those with a black and green bin can fill the black bin, as pickup will be every two weeks, said Alexander.

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