Essex town councillors won't decide on Monday night whether to switch to biweekly garbage pickup, but the administration is requesting to proceed with public consultations this fall, seeking residents' opinions on the idea.
Even if the council agrees, and the idea proves popular with residents, the town doesn't anticipate changing its collection calendar until 2028.
A report to the council said waste collection contract costs have increased substantially in recent years, and this fall will mark one year since organic waste pickup started. Town staff believe that with a year under the new green bin program, residents will have adjusted their habits and can more accurately assess their collection needs.
Right now, Essex picks up the garbage once a week and seasonal yard waste every other week. In Ward 1, the town also offers enhanced yard waste and organics pickup during the off-season, from December through to March.
A second question town staff intend to ask residents this fall is how they feel about moving to a bi-weekly yard waste pickup for all wards from April to November.
Moving to bi-weekly garbage pickup could save the town $370,000 a year, representing a 27.6 per cent decrease in the garbage levy. For each household, the savings work out to $50 annually.
Essex is just the first municipality in Essex County, aside from Windsor, to discuss service-level changes, but the report suggests other municipalities are eyeing adjustments too.
The City of Windsor re-aligned service levels last October with the launch of the green bin program. Since moving to bi-weekly garbage collection, it has experienced a steady increase in diversion from the landfill.
