KIM BURTON-SCHRAM
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER
The large item pickup for 2025 proved yet again to be very popular with residents in South Glengarry, and maybe even with a few neighbours from other townships who might have taken advantage of the program. Large item pickup provides residents the convenience of not having to go to the dump to dispose of bulk waste items that are not part of normal garbage collection. This year, the large item pickup included all garbage put to the curb, including bagged, loose, big or small, and was not limited to only large items.
Forty-five dump truck-sized loads were deposited at the landfill in South Glengarry due to the volume of garbage put to the curb this year. Normally, an average week’s collection is 8 loads of refuse, which means large item pickup for 2025 was equivalent to an additional month of garbage collection costs for the Township of South Glengarry. Put into perspective, the demolition of an average house is approximately 20 dump truck-sized loads. To accommodate the volume of garbage, four additional days of staffing for half days were required and municipal staff were needed to support landfill operations during the large item pickup week.
While residents of South Glengarry seemed content with the service provided by the Township, the amount of waste added to the landfills raises concerns about shortening the lifespan of the landfills. Sadly, there were items put out for garbage that could have been donated or salvaged for repurpose rather than going into the landfills. Additionally, items that are not accepted for garbage pickup, including e-waste, tires and scrap metal were included in the garbage put to the roadside, contrasting sharply with South Glengarry’s continued efforts to promote solid waste diversion from the landfills to extend their usability.
The contractor for large item pickup week faced challenges due to the volume of items placed to the curb, despite being proactive and adding staff and trucks for the week. Crews continued to work into the weekend to ensure items were picked up and responded to missed collection calls to the Township offices. South Glengarry Township Staff hope to establish some limits to the quantities and educate residents on acceptable items in efforts to better manage the operations for large item pickup week. In comparison to 2024, the large item pickup program was an overall success with many fewer complaints by residents and no threats of garbage being dumped on Councillors’ front lawns.
