ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — At a committee meeting on Wednesday, St. John’s city council approved new sanitation regulations that will make changes to how residents dispose of trash.
Within six months to a year from now — the precise timing is yet to be decided — residents will be permitted only two regular garbage bags (called privacy bags), and any other bags put in the trash will need to be transparent. Only four garbage bags in total will be permitted during each weekly collection.
Recycling will be mandatory, and must be placed in blue bags, although cardboard and paper products can be bundled.
City staff will do spot checks to ensure there’s no recycling placed in transparent garbage bags.
Councillors discussed whether two privacy bags was one too many, with some noting people could technically still hide recycling in those bags. However, they ultimately decided to permit two privacy bags.
The bylaw also addresses properties where automated garbage collection isn’t currently in place. Right now, those residents are permitted a maximum of 10 garbage bags per week. That will be lowered to four bags to bring it in line with areas where automated collection is in place. Again, a maximum of two privacy bags will be permitted, with the other two bags required to be transparent.
New rules for bulk garbage pickup will require residents to list the specific items to be picked up in advance, and only those items listed will be collected.
According to council agenda notes, this will help address instances where items were mistakenly taken.
While the bylaw was approved by council on Wednesday during the committee of the whole meeting, it will require final approval at an upcoming regular council meeting, typically in two weeks’ time.
