The City of Langford has committed to improving waste collection services by adopting new waste receptacle standards and exploring new curbside pickup services.
The matter was discussed at the December 15th city council meeting, resulting in staff being directed to explore options for garbage collection by a single private garbage collection company.
According to the City, this decision came from growing concerns in the community regarding overflowing public garbage cans.
Growing population, increased density in the downtown and misuse of bins from household waste are thought to be contributing factors in the increased waste.
“Currently, Langford does not operate a municipal garbage collection service, and instead, waste pickup is managed by private contractors on an open-market basis,” wrote a City spokesperson in a media release.
“Through research, staff found that residents in Langford are likely paying more, on average, annually for a private garbage collection service than residents in other BC municipalities that have either a municipally managed or contracted bi-weekly garbage collection service.”
Furthermore, this research showed that the majority of municipalities with a population over 20,000 in BC have some level of involvement in garbage collection—be it a service run directly by the municipality or operated under a municipal contract.
For example, Victoria, Saanich, Sidney and many other municipalities in Greater Victoria have contracts with waste pickup companies like Emterra Environmental.
“Because garbage collection in Langford is not mandatory, some residents may choose not to enter a private waste collection contract, which can result in residential waste being dumped in public or commercial bins,” wrote the Langford spokesperson.
“Further, Langford does not have the additional benefits that come from a municipal garbage collection service, such as large-item pickup days and yard waste collection.”
While City staff researches how best to proceed with changing the way waste is handled, the current service level for public waste receptacle collection will now increase.
Additionally, a new style of receptacle will be introduced in some areas, featuring recycling racks, wildlife-resistant designs and increased capacity.
