What to know<\/p>\n
Amid ongoing disruptions to recycling collection in the city, one Toronto resident says recyclables have been accumulating across his neighbourhood for 11 days, causing frustration among locals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When he first received a notice that recycling collection would be changing in Toronto as of Jan. 1 this year, Keaton Crouse didn\u2019t think much of it. However, two weeks into the new system,\u00a0 his blue bins are overflowing after the new private collector has failed to pick up his recyclables two times in a row.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was supposed to be picked up on the third. It is now January 14, and nobody\u2019s come to pick that up,\u201d he told Now Toronto on Wednesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
@nowtoronto<\/a> Amid ongoing disruptions to #recycling<\/a> collection in the city, one #Toronto<\/a> resident says recyclables have been accumulating across his neighbourhood for 11 days, causing frustration among locals. #CircularMaterials<\/a> \u266c original sound \u2013 Now Toronto<\/a> <\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Crouse says the issue is impacting several residents in his neighbourhood, noting that almost all of his neighbours on his street have not had their recyclables picked up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re overflowing. People have bags next to it. They\u2019ve got boxes all over the place. I\u2019ve even seen my neighbour have to use my recycle bin just to find space. It\u2019s been that bad,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt definitely takes up at least half the sidewalk. And as more and more things go out, [there is] less and less space, whether it just be cardboard boxes that are broken down or just more things stacked inside of giant cardboard boxes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Torontonian and his neighbours are not the only ones to face issues with their recyclables. Since private company Circular Materials took over the service from the city, thousands of residents have reported recycling piling up on curbsides, with scheduled collections being missed since Jan. 2.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Read More<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford told reporters about 2,000 collection stops have been missed during the transition, blaming the problem on communication issues between the City of Toronto and Circular Materials.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The premier also defended the service update despite the issues, saying the new system reduces costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank God we uploaded it, because it saves taxpayers tons of money in all municipalities, across all 444 municipalities in Ontario,\u201d he told reporters.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Read More<\/p>\n
Despite the premier\u2019s remarks, Crouse says he has never faced serious issues with recycling collection before Circular Materials took over.\u00a0 Additionally, he said his compost and garbage, which is still managed by the city, have been collected on time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore the switch, it always got picked up without fail. I mean, we never had problems. Maybe some days it got a little bit delayed, or, worst case, it got picked up the next day, but it always got picked up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
CIRCULAR MATERIALS COMMITTED TO DELIVER<\/strong><\/p>\n
In response to the pickup delays, Circular Materials CEO Allen Langdon and GFL Environmental Founder and CEO Patrick Dovigi said the companies are committed to \u201cdelivering reliable recycling collection\u201d and said issues have to do with transitional challenges.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWith Ontario representing the largest recycling transition ever undertaken in Canada, there have been some early transition challenges. Circular Materials and GFL remain jointly committed to resolving these start-up challenges and ensuring Toronto residents receive reliable recycling collection service,\u201d they said in a joint statement shared with Now Toronto on Wednesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Crouse noted his next blue bin collection is scheduled for this Friday, but said he is still skeptical on whether the service will follow through.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFriday will be an interesting day to see if they actually pick it up. If not, that\u2019s three weeks of no pickups, and halfway through January, and everyone\u2019s got recycling and nowhere to put it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Going forward, the resident hopes the issue is resolved sooner than later and that Circular Materials takes accountability.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c[I hope] it just becomes regular. They stick to their scheduling or at least are able to tell us, like going forward, what happened and why that won\u2019t happen again. Because Toronto\u2019s a large city, and if you keep neglecting different spots, [the] raccoon population is going to have a field day, but the rest of us won\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n