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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A decision by the previous city council to limit house dwellers to two garbage bags a week last year may get a second look later this month as the city's new council sits down to establish goals and priorities over the new term.

Canadian Tire owner Warren Pariseau demonstrates the animal security features on the city-approved, 75-litre steel garbage pails available at the store. City council may be taking a second look at the two-bag garbage limit introduced last year. - NNSL file photo

The curbside limit on 77-litre garbage bags was lowered to two from three on Jan. 1 of last year, and households were required to purchase $1 tags for additional tags on April 1.

City councillor Phil Moon Son said the reduced bag limit was issue he encountered often while campaigning door-to-door during last fall's municipal election. He said the policy targets large families with kids as well as people who don't have access to a vehicle to dispose of their garbage. Exacerbating the problem, said Moon Son, is a $2 increase to the solid waste waste levy – charged ostensibly to cover the costs of garbage pickup, and a 10 per cent hike to tipping fees at the dump – all while the city remains without a curbside recycling program. The solid waste levy on monthly water bills from the city rose to $16.50 on Jan. 1.

“People are upset about the two-bag limit and I think their frustration is at a tipping point, regarding the garbage fees,” said Moon Son. “A lot of people are saying why don't you give us 100 tags and we will do it how we want to do it. We will use it whenever we want to do it.”

The issue could reappear before council as early as Jan. 15 when council begins its strategic planning for the next three years.

“I think going door to door it was a very contentious because people were just frustrated with the increases in costs,” said Moon Son.

“The costs over a few years at the dump have basically doubled within a short period of time. You end up having a 100 per cent increase in a short period of time and that isn't keeping up with inflation. That is going above and beyond.”

Coun. Linda Bussey said she intends to keep an open mind during the strategic planning session but agreed there is need to discuss the garbage bag limits.

“I think it is going to come back because we did start talking about it,” she said, referring to concerns raised about costs of garbage pickup during budget deliberations last month.

“I don't think (the two-bag limit) has stopped or had an impact on garbage disposal,” said Bussey. “But I think it needs to be readdressed and we need to look at it. Is the two-bag limit working? Is it an effective program? I say to you it needs to be looked at again whether it made a real change in how people manage their garbage. Right now I'm not sure.”

Bussey said she doesn't have any issue with the increase to tipping fees to charged to residents dropping off various items at the dump.

“I am okay with the increase in the tipping fees,” said Bussey. “I think we want to do a lot of work at the solid waste facility and the tipping fees is okay. Compared to what other cities do, I think it is good.”

Coun. Rebecca Alty, the new chair of the Solid Waste Management Committee, said it would be premature to go back on the two-bag limit at this point.

“As for anything I think it takes some people some time to adjust to it, but overall it has been working,” she said, adding people need to avoid over-packaged items when shopping at the store.

“The big culprits for garbage is cardboard and if you aren't recycling your cardboard, then yes, you are going to go over your two-bag limit.

“I don't think going back to unlimited bags of garbage is the answer. We are a landlocked city so we have to aim to keep our landfill as small as possible.”

Alty said other areas of the country, such as Nova Scotia, have a history of garbage reduction, and bylaws are more stringent. She pointed to a 2010 article by former Yellowknifer reporter Jasmine Budak published in The Walrus magazine, which noted how the city of Yarmouth passed a bylaw limiting households to two garbage bags per week but one must be clear to ensure recyclables aren't being tossed.

“They have incredibly low garbage rates as a result of people composting and recycling,” she said.

“It didn't happen overnight and they have been working on being one of the provinces with the least amount of garbage. It will be the same for Yellowknife.”

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