New 120-litre garbage bins will cost $5 million

Gatineau’s city council will spend almost $9,600,000 to buy new containers for residents’ garbage, recycling, and compostables. Within that total, $5,288,200 will pay for the 120-litre garbage bins.  City council authorized the administration to borrow the total from the provincial government, which is repayable over 10 years.   

The grey 120-litre bins will be distributed to each dwelling now served by the waste management services of the city.  Their distribution will begin this autumn and be completed during the winter of 2019. They will be in place in time to meet the new rules concerning household garbage, which come into effect July 15, 2019.  Likewise, 240- and 360-litre bins will be distributed for larger buildings.   

There are already external containers at buildings with nine or more entrances. These are now picked up every week, but after next July 15, they will be emptied only every two weeks.

In the same program, the City will be delivering bins for compost and recycling to all new residences, as well as replacing any broken bins. The program’s budget contains funds for recurring replacements.

The city’s new regime will meet the objectives required by Quebec of all cities in its household waste management plan 2016-2020 (PGMR). This plan includes 29 steps designed to reduce the volume of garbage coming from city territories.  Present landfills are reaching their capacity, and environmental guidelines limit the creation of new dumps across the province. (FR)