Garbage & illegal dumping police

[bornagainbiking]

So now they want to establish an illegal dumping enforcement unit.
Root cause? Waste management department!
Maybe make it easier for the residents. Like long, slow lines at the dumping stations on week-ends.
Set up dumpsters for recycling in each ward, so the stuff I have to have at the curb by 0700 and gets picked up at 1500 isn't blown around the neighborhood. Don't tell me blue bags, $$$$$$$ out of my pocket again.
Open transfer stations longer, cheaper (than enforcement) and more customer friendly.
Heaven forbid Someone walking by throws something in my bins wrong and I get a OPPS sticker and they don't take it.
Don't be so strict and hire more sorters from the job centers.
Lord knows we try and there are some cheap lazy individuals out there. Maybe an ad program to report infractions?

[fuller]

Whenever I mention to someone that I`m going to the dump (transfer station, actually) they invariably look at me like I`m living in some sort of rural/nostalgic time-warp.

I suggest that the average citizen would have no idea where to legally dispose of garbage outside of the curb-collection system.

For those who do know, how many think it's reasonable that the only legal option involves driving to Dundas (for downtown residents) and paying $8.50 to dispose of that single bag of garbage or non-recyclable item that has been rejected at the curb; the same price as for dumping 100kgs.

How hard would it be to have a facility in each ward where people can bring a bag or two for something like two dollars per bag?

It could be as simple as having a garbage truck or dumpster parked adjacent to some other staffed City-operated facility that already handles cash. There would have to be a limit to prevent it from growing into a full-fledged transfer station.

[Duckyboy]

Originally Posted by fuller

Whenever I mention to someone that I`m going to the dump (transfer station, actually) they invariably look at me like I`m living in some sort of rural/nostalgic time-warp.

I suggest that the average citizen would have no idea where to legally dispose of garbage outside of the curb-collection system.

For those who do know, how many think it's reasonable that the only legal option involves driving to Dundas (for downtown residents) and paying $8.50 to dispose of that single bag of garbage or non-recyclable item that has been rejected at the curb; the same price as for dumping 100kgs.

How hard would it be to have a facility in each ward where people can bring a bag or two for something like two dollars per bag?

It could be as simple as having a garbage truck or dumpster parked adjacent to some other staffed City-operated facility that already handles cash. There would have to be a limit to prevent it from growing into a full-fledged transfer station.

Both of these quotes from fuller and bornagainbiking make sense. I'm all for reduced garbage, but I agree that the majority of people have no idea where/what a transfer station is. Once the city makes those more accessible, I think you'll see a gradual decrease in illegal dumping.

[mattgrande]

Why would someone bring a single bag of garbage to the dump?

[bornagainbiking]

Why would someone bring a single bag of garbage to the dump?
Some wouldn't, and just DRIVE to a location or area, well if you were going to drive away from your home, if a ward location was available why not there.
Imagine you live in an apartment and missed your garbage day. You just enptied out your fridge, it is hot outside and the smell for 6 days, for the critters to rip it apart, the maggots and flys.
Yummy.
If you could toss a bag for 50 cents, or enjoy the aroma of rotting hamburger meat or sour milk that seeps out onto the ground.
If someone recycles, the bulk of the bag would be wet garbage or not if you have a green bin.
If the vast majority of residents were responsible this would never be an issue. But if a person can save $8.50 and drive out to a rural area, or in the city toss it into an alley or vacant lot. Apparently there are quite a few like this to include small contractors and renovators. Increases the profit margin to save on disposal fees.
Just for a laugh call "Got Junk" and check out the cost of them coming to your house and pick up your stuff after you clean out your garage. $$$$$$.

[fuller]

A person with one bag of garbage might be someone who has two bags of garbage, one more than the allowed limit.

Consider that when the City introduced the one bag limit, they made a decision to not provide for anything over that amount. This leaves the law-abiding, responsible citizen with no option other than taking it to a rather distant waste transfer station.

Also worth noting -- I'm almost certain that transfer stations, like fast food drive-thus, are not set up for pedestrian traffic. I don't know for sure, but I seriously doubt that it is even an option to walk a bag (yes, just one bag) of garbage into a transfer station. You must drive there. ('Safety','Insurance Regulations don't allow it, sir', etc.)

So how hard is it to figure out where the dumping problem is coming from?

They are basically trying to reduce the flow of garbage from the wrong end. And the results are utterly predictable.