Lantzville residents asked to select waste cart sizes for automated collection

Automated waste collection is coming to the District of Lantzville and homeowners are being asked to choose the size of carts that they want.

The Regional District of Nanaimo, which manages garbage, recycling and food waste collection for the District of Lantzville, is switching to automated curbside waste collection service for all single-family homes beginning in the fall of 2020, following an announcement that they’ve signed a contract with Waste Connections for an estimated $3.2 million.

Automated waste collection uses three types of wheel-based carts – one for recycling, one for garbage and one for food waste – that are placed on the curb by homeowners. The carts are then picked up specialized trucks, which have mechanical arms to lift and empty the carts. Drivers operate the mechanical arms from inside the cab of the truck.

As a result of the RDN’s switch to automated collection, Lantzville residents have until Dec. 31 to choose the size of waste carts they want.

Recycling carts are available in 100-litre, 240L and 360L sizes. Garbage carts are offered in 80L, 100L and 240L sizes. Food waste carts are 100L.

Those who fail to select cart sizes before the deadline will automatically receive the default 100L garbage cart, 240L recycling cart and the 100L food waste cart, according to the regional district’s website.

Opting for the default cart sizes will result in a $175 utility fee annually, pending final approval from the RDN board, according to the website.

Waste collection bins are currently on display at Lantzville’s district hall until Nov. 29.

Lantzville Mayor Mark Swain said automated waste collection is the way of the future. He said the switch won’t result in job losses but will make the job safer for workers.

“It’s not a job reduction either,” he said. “It is basically keeping workers safer.”

According to a RDN staff report, manual collection with a 100L garbage cart was estimated to cost $170 per household annually, while automated collection without yard waste was estimated to cost $200. If yard waste is included, the cost is estimated to be $215 to $245 depending on the size of cart.

Swain said regional district directors opted for automated collection because the costs were nearly identical.

“Basically the costing was coming back the same whether it was a manual pickup or automated…” he said. “When you look at the fact that both services were costing the same, [automated collection] was probably the better of the two to go with.”

For more information and to select cart sizes, visit https://www.getinvolved.rdn.ca/curbsidecollection.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article noted incorrect default cart sizes. The News Bulletin regrets the error and apologizes for any inconvenience it caused.

#Lantzville residents have until Dec. 31 to select the size of collection carts they want for their home as the Regional District of Nanaimo switches to automated curbside waste collection.

Here are the bin sizes. pic.twitter.com/0evsWHoV1F

— Nicholas M Pescod (@npescod) October 11, 2019