Dear Editor:
Re: Waste to energy not a good plan, Letters to the editor, Nov. 18.
Mr. Johnstone states that solid waste pickup has increased, which is false.
The city under the 2010 waste collection program did not limit residents' garbage collection by volume. The limitation was by weight. We could dispose of any reasonable container of waste provided the total weight per container was below 55 kg. I could opt to use Mr. Johnstone's 75-litre bag, or I could opt to use a much larger or smaller bag. On occasion I would use a 150-litre yard waste bag without issue, provided the total weight was under the allowable 55 kg total weight.
Secondly, Mr. Johnstone includes the organic waste container in my total allowable waste to be picked up. Prior to the program, I used a backyard composting system for most yard and food waste, like many other residents.
The only waste that the green bin takes that I did not compost before the program is animal carcasses and bones. As I recall, the city offered subsidized composting containers for a while, so Mr. Johnstone cannot reasonably include this container in his mathematics as described.
Finally, Mr. Johnstone, whom I believe must be an environmentally friendly person, has made a truly obvious error when he has suggested that I take all of my thermoplastics to the recycling depot in response to my calls for a viable recy-cling stream and pickup system for these recyclables. Moving a car or truck which weighs nearly a tonne in order to move a couple pounds of thermoplastics is hardly environmentally friendly - I would release less greenhouse gases by burning the plastics in my yard than I would by regularly driving them to the recycling depot.
Finally, Mr. Johnstone cannot cite an increase in waste collection by citing the new blue single stream recycling bin as increased capacity. The city already picks up these recyclables, they are only switching the container from blue and yellow bags and the blue box to a different container.
I used to be able to dispose of 240 litres of garbage waste in a week in 2010. While I rarely had the need to dispose of that much garbage, provided it was under 110 kg, I could do so without penalty. Since the automated containers came into effect, I can now only dispose of 120 litres. When the city switches to bi-weekly collection I will only be able to dispose of 60 litres. In effect our garbage collection costs have risen by a factor of four.
In fact, contrary to Mr. Johnstone's claim of an over three-times increase in total garbage collection, my only concern about the single stream recycling program is that there will not be enough space for me to fit all of my recyclables! (Mr. Johnstone may recall that I did say I am recycling to the maximum in my letter.) I am currently disposing of two jam-packed mixed paper bags and three to five full blue bags of containers per week. Given that the new blue container will be picked up bi-weekly, I am concerned that I will not have enough space for my recycling.
Zero waste is a laudable goal, but with current regulation it is impossible. Politicians cannot ram zero waste down residents' throats with a 75 per cent garbage collection cut over two years without the necessary balancing regulation for retailers and food manufacturers; and the city needs to assist residents by collecting soft, recyclable thermoplastics.
Kris Taylor, New Westminster
