The Green box fee or tax

This updated post reflects the Tuesday November 11, 2009 vote by the city’s planning and Development committee to recommend a “fee for service” approach for the Green-bin, Blue box and Black box collection programs. This decision was taken despite the fact that many members of the public are very concerned about introduction of the fee for services approach (Green-bin approach has many seeing red, Patrick Dare, Ottawa Citizen, Nov. 10, 2009).

Following the vote Councillor Peter Hume, chair of the committee, said the program, and why it's needed, had not been well explained. And he said the city should have had the debate about how to pay for it long before budget time. Hume said it was too late to make significant changes to the program. He said contracts have been signed and bins are being distributed, so it's not possible for the city to retreat from the $17-million program now.

This leaves me confused as to where Councillor Hume really stands on this issue. His response to a recent message I sent him, and other members of council gave me the impression that he was not in favor of the Green-bin user fee, but preferred an approach that would apply user fees to the garbage disposal process, thus making people pay for bad behavior and rewarding people who make effective use of the Green-bin, Blue Box and Black Box programs, as has been done in other Ontario municipalities.

Apparently Hume did agree to study a true user-fee program for regular garbage disposal, a tag-a-bag program that would see residents only pay for the trash they put out. But this would not come into effect before 2011 at the earliest. Why are these issues not being debated now, and where are the incentives rewarding the public for using the recycling programs? Following is a copy of my original message, along with Councillor Hume’s response.

Dear Councillor Hume,

Today's Ottawa Citizen editorial on your proposed Green box user fees helped gel my concerns over this issue (http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/Trash+this+idea/2185830/story.html).

The proposed Green Bin user fee is being applied against a service that will significantly reduce the amount of waste going into landfill. In the long-term this will save the city oodles of money. It also brings long-term profits to the commercial enterprise that is composting the green waste. Why else would they be doing it?

It would be better to apply the user fee to the garbage disposal process, thus making people pay for bad behavior and rewarding people who make effective use of the Green Bin, Blue Box and Black Box programs, as has been done in other Ontario municipalities.

One town (Saugeen Shores) went to a User Pay system for garbage last year, and has shown very positive results. Starting bag tags took waste disposal entirely off the property tax base and avoided a 4.9% budget increase. Garbage drops offs on roadsides went up a bit, but the revenue from the bag tags allows the town to send out staff to pick up the garbage as needed. People will continue to throw garbage on roadsides, no matter whether there is a cost for bags or not.

There has been a significant drop in the amount of landfill tonnage. The additional savings from this system is going into environmental projects the town's committee has identified as priorities next year. The waste diversion rate increase has been only good for everyone in giving more years to landfill, and helping people see the connection between how much garbage they are producing and the cost.

This way as well, people who compost their own yard/kitchen waste will receive the same benefits as people using the Green Box. Sure there is a short term deficit as the program is introduced. The City needs to find a more equitable means of dealing with this, because eventually the expense should be recovered.

Sincerely,

Colin Hine

“Dear Mr. Hine,

“We may not agree on many things but on this issue we agree on this issue. The City moved to identify the costs of waste management so that we could move to system that would do exactly as you indicate. Given the response to the green bin program and most has been I don't want the program I would be willing to move to pay per bag system - using tags or stickers -- as soon as possible. Yesterday I met with the Environment Minister to push for full product stewardship for blue and black box materials and I expect him to make the producers 100% responsible for the cost of recycling these materials and I also expect that in moving to full product stewardship disposal costs will have to rise so a per bag fee is the proper way to go.

“Sincerely,

“Peter Hume”