Waste Management - Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs

GARBAGE AND BLUE BOX COLLECTION

REMINDER: Residents who have pick-up MUST have their garbage out by 7:00 a.m. to ensure pickup. If the garbage or recycling collection truck is ahead of schedule you may be missed.

Q.  If I own a business, can I use curbside pickup for recycling or garbage?
A.  Yes.  A current year's garbage tag should be placed on each bag of garbage.

Q.  Where does the Municipality dispose of the garbage collected roadside?
A.  Garbage collected by the Municipality's contractor, Emterra, is taken to the City of Toronto's Green Lane Landfill in Southwold Township.

Q.  If my garbage & recycling does not get picked up, what is the reason?
A.  Your garbage may not have been pickup IF: your garbage was not out by 7:00 a.m. and you missed the truck, no tag on your bags of garbage or inappropriate tag on bags, dogs are running loose or garbage was not in plain view of the truck driver.  Your blue box contents may not have been collected if recycling was not separated properly in the blue box or if the blue box contained non-recyclable material. If your waste was out by 7 a.m. and did not get picked up, the driver will leave behind an tag explaining the reason it was rejected. Please correct problem and set out for collection the following week.  If you believe that there was no problem with the waste put out at roadside, call the Municipal Office, 519-631-4860 Ext . 3.

Q.  What happens to collection on statutory holidays?
A.  Garbage and recyclables are not collected on holidays.  Check the calendar that came with your annual tag package, the CE BUZZ newspaper ad or the municipal website for alternative collection dates.  When a holiday occurs in a week, often collection days throughout that week are changed.

BAG TAGS

Q. Why does the Municipality issue garbage tags?
A. A number of small and medium sized Ontario Municipalities have implemented bag tag systems.  The Ontario Centre for Municipal Best Practices identified the following benefits of a bag tag or "pay as you throw system"
 - communicates importance of waste reduction to the public,
 - relatively low cost to administer; and
 - results in significant waste reduction.
Central Elgin implemented its bag tag system coupled with an expanded blue box collection program in 2007.  

Bag tags also provide the property owner with flexibility.  If they have more waste one week eg they are "spring cleaning" and have extra garbage, they can use tags and put out as may bags as they wish.  They are not limited to two bags per week.  

Q. What do I do if the tags that I am issued by the Municipality are not enough?
A. You can purchase additional tags.  Also Some business and industries find it more economical to purchase dumpster service.

Q.  Where do I purchase additional tags?
A.  Additional garbage tags can be purchased at the Central Elgin Municipal Office in the Elgin County Administration Building, 450 Sunset Drive; the Belmont Arena office, 14020 Belmont Road and the Port Stanley Arena office, 320 Carlow Road.  Garbage tags are only good for the year in which they are issued.

Q. I have tags left over at the end of the year.  What do I do with them?
A. In 2010, Central Elgin is giving those households, businesses and farms that have left over tags an opportunity to enter a contest to receive a prize - $1000 in cash or a television of equivalent value.  For each garbage tag returned to the Municipality in December 2010 and January 2011, a contest entry form will be provided.  Return 5 tags receive 5 entries.  Return 40 tags, receive 40 entries.  The Municipality hopes the contest will increase awareness about the importance of reducing waste.   

 

Q. Why not require  bag tags for garbage bags that exceed a weekly limit?
A. Although a few municipalities do use this system, enforcing the limits can be a big problem. There is no quick, simple way for the garbage collector to know how much garbage each property is entitled to place at curbside if only excess garbage bags have to be tagged since the number of allowable bags will vary depending upon the the number of dwelling units, places of business or farm status of the property.  Requiring garbage tags on every bag is simple.  If the bag has a tag, it is collected.  If not, it is left behind.  As well, tags increase the public's awareness about how much waste they generate each year.