Streetsville Village Times Article- February/March 2015 Throughout Ontario, approximately 55% of garbage that could be recycled unfortunately ends up in our landfills instead. This represents approximately 2.7 million tonnes of waste that could have been diverted out of our landfills into recycling or organics recycling, which is equivalent to the weight of 6,222 Boeing 747 jets! As a result, our landfills are running out of space or are already full. Landfills in the Region of Peel and Guelph are already full and garbage is being transported to other cities. Presently, the Region of Peel provides weekly waste collection services to approximately 325,000 households in Mississauga, Brampton, and Caledon. Each and every household can make a difference to ensure that their household waste is being diverted out of our landfills by handling their garbage, recycling, and organics household waste in ways that conserve and protect our environment for generations to come. Beginning the week of January 4, 2016, the Region of Peel will be changing to a cart-based, bi-weekly waste collection program, which will provide residents with opportunities to ensure that household waste is diverted out of our landfills and into recycling. Under this new waste collection program, the following changes will occur to your household waste collection:

Garbage and organics will be picked up one week Recycling and organics will be picked up the next week Change from garbage bags and recycling bins to carts Yard waste collection will not be affected

The new cart-based, bi-weekly waste collection program will result in a reduction of the amount of waste that is sent to landfills and an increase in recycling and organics recycling. Under the new waste collection program, an additional 4-6% of waste material will be diverted from landfills. The new waste collection program will also reduce current greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 6,700 - 11,100 tonnes of eCO2. This reduction in greenhouse gases will be achieved by reducing the garbage fleet; reducing the amount of organic material being sent to landfills; reducing the number of loads hauled to landfills; and reducing the recycling fleet. The new waste collection program is very economical and will result in an annual cost-savings of approximately $9 million. In addition to these benefits, the new garbage, recycling, and organics carts are easy to wheel to the curb; pest resistant; and will prevent wind-blown blue box litter, which costs the City approximately $385,000 in litter cleanup costs each year. Under the new waste collection program, residents will be using garbage, recycling, and organics carts to collect household waste. Each household will receive the following:

1 organics cart, 1 recycling cart, and 1 garbage cart.

The organics (green) cart is available in one size only. All residents will receive a 100 L green cart. This new green cart will hold the same amount of organic waste as 2 current green carts or 14 small kitchen organics containers. Garbage carts are available in 3 sizes: Small, Medium, and Large and will hold the following amounts of waste:

A small cart will hold 2 - 3 bags of garbage. A medium cart will hold 3 - 4 bags of garbage. A large cart will hold 4 - 5 bags of garbage.

Recycling carts are also available in 3 sizes: Small, Medium, and Large and will hold the following amounts of recycling:

A small cart will hold 2 blue boxes. A medium cart will hold 4 blue boxes. A large cart will hold 6 blue boxes.

Residents will need to choose the sizes of the garbage and recycling carts they would like to use to collect their respective household waste. When choosing cart sizes, please keep in mind the amount of household waste that you and your family produce over a 2 week period. Residents must choose their cart sizes by March 31, 2015 and can do so in the following ways:

Visit the Region of Peel's website at www.peelregion.ca/waste and choose your cart sizes online

Attend an Open House hosted by the Region of Peel:

Ward 11 Open House Thursday, March 12, 2015, from 4-9pm

at Dolphin Senior Public School 18 Brookside Drive, Mississauga, ON L5M 1H3

Carts will be delivered, free of charge, to residences between September-December 2015, and you will begin using your carts the week of January 4, 2016, when the new waste collection program begins. Until then, please continue to use your old blue box, green bin, and garbage containers/bags to collect your household waste. To learn more about the new cart-based, bi-weekly waste collection program, please visit the Region of Peel's Waste Management website at www.peelregion.ca/waste. When it comes to protecting and conserving our environment for generations to come, every little bit that you and your family can do makes a big difference, and a great place to start is with your household waste! As always, if you need any assistance on this or any other municipal matter, please dont hesitate to contact my office at george.carlson@mississauga.ca or 905-896-5011.