On April 9th this year, City of Cornwall waste management supervisor, told Council that the “recent overhaul of its waste collection has seen steadily increasing participation.”
When commenting on the success of the green bin program, manager Dave Kuhn proclaimed “We really jumped up. In baseball terms we’re batting 900 right now…That’s really encouraging.”
I didn’t think much of it at the time, but did notice a marked increase in full garbage bags littering the sides of our streets, making me wonder if our small army waste management professionals only pick-up what is mandated?
With bicycle season in full-swing, I took the Service Road north of the 401 between McConnell Ave. and Boundary Road, this week, and as the following photographs will show, local citizens have not embraced the Byzantine garbage regulations, but to a large degree have ignored them, deciding to throw their garbage in see-through plastics bags anywhere they can.
If Mr. Kuhn and Council count the following as a garbage management success, I don’t want to even think what a failure would look like.
Note: these photographs taken on May 16th, represent less than half the trash littering the Service Road.
If you are unhappy with Cornwall’s waste management strategy, share your stories here with THE SEEKER and COUNCIL, and even perhaps the new CAO!
Caption: The garbage bag artfully hanging from the branch of this tree welcomes you to trash land Cornwall!
Ian Bowering
Cornwall
About the Author
It’s sad to see the careless attitude of citizens but it’s unfair to blame the city staff and policy. People always find it hard to change even when it’s change for the best and there are always a few who don’t give a %@#$&.
If the volume to the landfill has gone down by half that’s definitely success.
Let’s hope the bags’s contents will reveal the culprits.
John thanks for your reply, and I agree that it is not all up to the City and staff to train the public in sound policy; but even after a week, the garbage I photographed still litters the side of the road. We are paying good money for the City to look after our garbage, there is no excuse for the trash not to have been removed, and for the City not to have done it, as I am sure that they are aware of the situation. Someone has to be accountable. .
Readers might ask why don’t I do it if I am so concerned? Well I think I do help. Last year alone, I picked up and properly disposed of 10,000 aluminum tins that I found polluting Cornwall’s streets and parks.
And John do keep-up the great work you are doing with Transition+ Cornwall.
I fully agree with Mr. Bowering. I also noticed in his pictures that most of the bags are clear. This indicates to me that they were probably not picked up due to having a few “forbidden” items.If the City wants to extend the life of the landfill, it must come up with solutions that won’t frustrate it’s residents with more and more regulations. We used to have 2 containers for refuse and now we have 4. Drive, walk or bike anywhere in our city and you will see these containers lined up on front porches or on front lawns. They really contribute to the beauty of our town. The solution that should have been looked at is high efficiency incineration. Yes it would involve a substantial investment, but unlike most “investment” the city makes, this one would recover and actually make the city some money by using the incinerator to produce electricity which would be sold to Ontario Hydro.
Another issue with our garbage collection is the fact that 2 seperate companies are now involved. I am one of those residents who cares about the curb appeal of my home. I put my garbage out just before 7am when collection starts. The
green bin gets picked up within an hour or two, but the recycling does not get picked up till late afternoon or early evening.
On windy days, I can see recycling material all over our street. This is unacceptable. Can the City not approach these companies
and have them coordinate their pick up schedules ? And while they are at it, would it be so difficult for the collectors to place
the empty containers back where they got them from and not drop them either in the middle of our driveways or even on the
street ?
I am pleased to announce that the City has now cleaned the trash along the north service road up.
Ian Bowering