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The problem has nothing to do with green bins, it's about the complete incompetence of whoever negotiated the Orgaworld contract. My biggest fear with this whole mess is that people will take it as a damnation of the green bin concept itself. Green bins are great and everybody should use them as much as possible. Ottawans seem to have this weird thing against recycling, we have one of the worst diversion rates in the province, and I hope this mess doesn't hinder efforts to correct this problem.
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I think most adults who recycle even sporadically aren't going to take this as an indictment of the green bin. They either use it or they don't. Many people, especially rural and suburban homeowners, also started composting in the backyard in the 90s and still do (they want their own compost!). Ideas are free and auditor generals usually don't come down on (and assign a fiscal value of loss to) ideologies.
In the inner city, homeless (?) guys on bikes with bags take care of any booze bottles or cans left out in blue boxes on pickup morning. They're like clockwork.
Can people do better when it comes to recycling? Sure. But if you hate using the green bin, then you already don't use it. If you do use it, you're not likely to denounce everything and start tossing your scraps on the street after reading a headline like 'Orgaworld audit reveals city over paid by $7 million', or something like that.
They'll be pissed that the city fucked up, and might even demand something be done about it (nah...), but that's it.
I would also hope that some residents *cough* don't sweep any desire for accountability under the rug BECAUSE of an adherence to the ideologies behind the program, which I've seen happen before.
Staff really screwed residents on this. To the point where you really have to wonder.
Yes, compost and recycling is super-terrific. So are bridges and Transitways and bike lanes. But they can all turn into tax revenue-gobbling boondoggles if the file is rushed into or just plain gets bungled through sleaze or incompetence. That makes everyone hurt. That makes charities and non-profits and agencies less likely to get funding in the next budget because the shortfall has to be covered. Or other city-building projects get slimmed down or put on hold.
Please, please, please demand that your representatives and the people who work for them - even if you voted for them and always will - do better work on your behalf.