General News

Survey indicates public approval for county waste collections

October 21, 2022   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

Almost one year after the introduction of automated waste and recycling cart collection, 88 per cent of participants in a Simcoe County survey reported that they are either satisfied or very satisfied with the program.

At the same time, 82 per cent of residents responded that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the County’s waste disposal sites including landfills and transfer centres.

The County of Simcoe conducted the extensive public survey in June 2022, and received 5,650 responses regarding residential waste collection and disposal services.

“County council is pleased to receive these outstanding results, which validate the change we undertook to move to carts and restore consistency to our waste collection services while adding additional convenience for Simcoe County households,” said Simcoe County Warden George Cornell. “The county is extremely grateful to the 5,650 residents and business owners who took the time to participate in our survey. Hearing from constituents is vital to councillors and staff as we work together to improve services and encourage sustainable waste practices.”

In 2019, waste collections for residents and business owners were impacted by nationwide labour challenges. Council and staff acted to restore consistency to county waste services, introducing a four-day collection schedule and launching automated cart collections. In early January, after a transition period, county council also introduced cart exchanges, allowing residents to adjust the size of their carts.

“Change can undoubtedly be difficult, and there was some initial apprehension, but survey respondents indicated that they now see the tremendous benefits of the new cart system and the modified collection schedule,” Warden Cornell added. “We’re also seeing more and more municipalities begin the process to move to the automated cart collection system, with many reaching out to the county for guidance, and we’re happy to have been ahead of the curve on making this important and successful change.”

These survey results show that the county’s approach to waste management is having the desired effects, according to survey respondents. Where possible, these results will be used to make further enhancements.

Among the five per cent of respondents who were dissatisfied with the county’s waste sites, 37 per cent indicated that site location was an issue.

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