South Glengarry Council wants two-bag garbage limit by end of 2022

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By Nick Seebruch
South Glengarry Council wants two-bag garbage limit by end of 2022
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SOUTH GLENGARRY, Ontario – At a Special Council Meeting on Monday, Aug. 16 South Glengarry Township Council expressed their support for a two-bag limit on garbage.

The decision came after a presentation from Chief Administration Officer Tim Mills describing the current state of the township’s landfills and how they are rapidly filling up.

The township’s landfill in North Lancaster is estimated to have four years of space left, while the landfill on Beaverbrook Rd. is estimated to have 13 years of space left.

“In 2012 we had 20 years of capacity left in North Lancaster and now we have four,” said Councillor Stephanie Jaworski. “And in 2012 we had 30 years at Beaverbrook and now we have just 13. So we are filling up faster than we had anticipated. Those of us on the Environment Committee who receive these reports on a regular basis this has been anxiety producing.”

Administration had originally recommended a longer phase in for the garbage bag limit with a four bag limit to be introduced in Dec. 2021 before slowly being brought down to two bags by June 2023.

Deputy Mayor Lyle Warden as well as other members of Council expressed their interest in expediting the phase in of the bag limit, with Warden wanting to see a two-bag limit in place by the end of 2022.

Councillor Sam McDonell said that he was not entirely convinced of implementing a two-bag limit unless the Township offered residents something in return like weekly recycling, which was another suggestion from administration. The township currently has a bi-weekly recycling schedule.

“Bar none, hands down, going to weekly recycling is the number one request I get,” said Councillor Jaworski.

With all of the township’s waste management contracts coming up by the end of the year, the township will be putting out a Request for Proposal for new contract bids that cost out things like a two-bag limit and weekly recycling. Council also wanted to see the cost of single stream or two stream recycling. Two stream recycling would see items like paper separated from plastic.

Councillor Martin Lang framed the issue as one that would save taxpayers money in the long term.

“I’m definitely in favour of let’s find out,” he said. “Also there’s the question of if we don’t do it, what’s the cost? Landfills are extremely expensive to get up and running.”

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