The Town of Petrolia is getting ready for changes to its garbage and recycling program as Waste Management introduces automatic collection methods, beginning on December 4.
As such, residents will be required to place new carts at the end of their driveways so trucks can use automatic lifting arms to empty them. They must also be placed three feet apart from other objects.
Director of Marketing, Arts, and Communications Laurissa Ellsworth said the biggest reason for the change is to protect the health and safety of Waste Management employees.
"What they're finding is that when they're picking up garbage and hefting it into the trucks, they're having a lot of lost time from injuries from people having to lift that weight regularly," she said. "So they're looking at this as a much safer work environment for the drivers and for the personnel."
Residents will receive two green 64-gallon carts (at no cost to them) during the week of November 18. One cart will have a yellow lid meant for recyclables and the other bin will have a green lid for household waste.
There will be no changes to collection dates or times.
Ellsworth said the program will be monitored to see if tweaks need to be made in the future.
For those with questions about the upcoming changes, an open house will be held at Victoria Hall on Wednesday, November 13 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Waste Management representatives and municipal staff will be at the public meeting.
"We're all kind of learning together and it's going to take a little while for us to get used to the new program but I think ultimately, it's going to be a real benefit," Ellsworth said.
Petrolia resident Sheri Hamilton voiced concerns during a recent council meeting about the weight of the carts and the safety of small children who are waiting for buses in the morning.
During the council meeting, Mayor Brad Loosley also specified that the three-bag limit for garbage will remain in place.
Bags left beside the carts will not be collected and residents are discouraged from overfilling their carts as the lids must be secularly closed.
As for currently-used recycling bins, council said residents could opt to find different uses for them, such as transfer bins or rain barrels.
Garbage collection for the 2025 budget is expected to cost $245,389.