By Bruce Walkinshaw

The Tri-City News

More green waste will mean less real waste, according to a participant in a Port Coquitlam pilot study that saw the city reduce garbage collection to once every two weeks while increasing the amount of items participants could put in their green waste bins.

“I love it. I think it is a really great idea,” said resident Becky Tsukishima. “Before, I used to throw out about a full garbage bag, sometimes even more, every time. Now, there is barely any garbage to go out, maybe just a small shopping bag every two weeks, if that.”

Tsukishima said that the expansion of items her family of three is able to put in the green waste bin was the biggest factor for the drop in the amount of garbage they were sending to the landfills.

“It is great to be able to just wrap up all of our food waste into newspapers and throw it in there,” she said. “It also means that now our garbage isn’t as damp, sticky and messy as it used to be.”

Launched Aug. 7, the six-week program allows participants to throw currently prohibited food items (including meats, bones, breads, pastas and dairy products) and contaminated paper products (such as pizza boxes, paper plates and napkins) into their green bins — items the city estimated to make up 21.5% of its waste stream.

With more than 200 households in the Harbourview Estates area participating, PoCo staff hope the study will give the city direction on whether to proceed with a system that could save the city money and increase diversion of waste otherwise destined for a landfill.

A smaller survey conducted by the city earlier this year found that 85% of respondents approved a reduction in the frequency of garbage collection.

In the subsequent report, staff estimated a change to a bi-weekly garbage collection schedule would save an estimated $75,000 per year “from reduced fuel consumption, labour, mechanical repairs and maintenance.” Furthermore, Port Coquitlam could save an additional $45,000 on landfill tipping fees should the city be able to achieve the Metro Vancouver goal of 70% waste diversion.

“I think we should expand the program city-wide to help save money and landfill sites,” said Tsukishima. “Just by doing it, I have changed the way I think about what I am going to throw away.”

Tsukishima also recommended that after the program is instituted for residential garbage pickup, a similar green waste program should be set up for the food industry.

“I would like to see them include restaurants,” she said. “They throw away a lot of food that shouldn’t be going into the landfills.”

– with files from Gary McKenna

newsroom@tricitynews.com