I heard that collection was moving from the City to a private company, so I waited for the new recycling truck on Jan.2. That’s the day the new system kicked in: Circular Materials was going to pick up our blue bin. I got up early in the morning to get my recyclables to the curb by 7 a.m. Then I waited by the window.
Ok, I wasn’t just peering out the window. I did some stretches and some chores, but I couldn’t help but look out the blinds for the truck. Recycling day is my favourite day of the week. Something I look forward to because it’s so satisfying to get so much junk out of the house knowing it’s being recycled, not just tossed into a landfill. The City compost truck did come as quick as it normally does. But hours passed, and still no recycling truck.
Maybe it was just my house. I went outside and the neighbour’s bins were still full. Maybe it was just my street. I went to the adjacent street, and the blue bins were still full. Maybe it was just our block. I went to my shop at Eglinton and Dufferin. Garbage was piled up along Dufferin.
On top of that, someone dumped eight full garbage bags without tags in front of my shop. Garbage attracts garbage. And problems.
My commercial landlord accused me of putting out those garbage bags without tags. I had to clean them up even though they weren’t mine.
Back at home, the uncollected cardboard boxes were strewn along the sidewalk in front of my house. Maybe it was the wind, maybe someone kicked it, whatever, but I still had to pick all that up too.
What happened to the new private company mandated by the provincial government to pick up our recyclables? “Call the number on your blue bin,” I remembered the City’s campaign. I called on Saturday night. There was an answer service. The name of the company on the line was GFL Environmental, the same company that runs the fluorescent green trucks that already pick up our recyclables. The answer service said to call back next business day. That would be Monday.
And so, we completed a full circle: the new private system uses the same trucks as the old public system. The only real difference is a new sticker on my blue bin, and my recycling garbage is still outside.
They just came by this morning. Not impressed.