With the green bin program expected to launch in Sarnia next year, city councillors will be asked on Monday to approve a $1.45 million contract to supply eligible properties with the appropriate bins and containers.
City staff recommend awarding the contract to IPL North America Inc., which supplies carts to many municipalities in Ontario.
If approved, IPL would supply and distribute seven-litre kitchen containers and 120-litre curbside green bins, which will allow for semi-automated collection.
Municipalities procure the bins in bulk to simplify the program for residents and to ensure compatibility with the contractor's collection equipment, read a report to council.
Contracts were awarded earlier this year to oversee curbside collection and processing services.
General Manager of Engineering and Operations David Jackson said the bins have a 10 year warranty. "Municipalities are seeing the vast majority last much longer," Jackson said.
If the contract is approved during the July 20 city council meeting, Jackson said they're aiming to have bins delivered to eligible properties in March 2027, with the program starting in April 2027.
"We haven't fully set those firm dates yet," Jackson said. "While we could theoretically do it faster, we don't really want to start a new program like this in the middle of winter, so that's why we're going to plan to launch it next spring."
Apartment and condo buildings will not be included in the initial rollout as they utilize dumpster services.
"Right now, we're providing the green bins to all of the residential properties that we provide curbside collection service to now, which is single-family homes and generally, multi-residential properties that have six units or less," Jackson said. "We'll start the program with the smaller residential properties, and then after a few years, we would then consider options for expanding to other properties."
The cost estimate for the bin procurement does not include the gravity lock feature, meant to provide additional protection against rodents. The locks would cost an extra $780,000, which is why staff are not recommending this option.
"We don't think the rodent concern is a major issue across the city," Jackson said. "These [green bins] will be collected weekly, as garbage is now, so to pay for the additional lock-offs for everyone adds a significant cost to the program."
Jackson said there are things residents can do on their own to limit the possibility of attracting rodents.
"Some people will choose to store their green bin in their garage or maybe in a shed," he said. "Some people, if they leave it outside, they can put something heavy on top of it when it's just stored next to their house; there are snaps you can purchase at the store or on the internet that are relatively cheap."
While some may feel uneasy about the new program, Jackson said the city is following a provincial policy statement that mandates municipalities of Sarnia's size to implement a green bin program due to landfills running out of space.
Information packages will be included with the green bins.
Acceptable items that can be tossed into the green bin include:
- Food scraps - Bones - Coffee grounds - Egg shells - Soiled paper towels - Tissues - Paper plates - Newspaper - Diapers - Sanitary products - Houseplants - Animal waste and litter - Animal bedding - Leaves - Twigs and small branches
Although yard waste can be placed in green bins, it can also still be placed in paper bags for curbside collection.
Monday's council meeting will be held at Sarnia City Hall, beginning at 1 p.m.
