So... how do we like the Automated Garbage collection now?

I know there are several of us on here who have them..just wondering what everyone thinks now that we have had them for all 4 seasons?

Me. I mostly like the program. Yep the stink during the summer gets pretty bad. Yep they are sometimes too small for me to throw everything out.

I just wish that at least the recycling program went automated at the same time. I think if the city actually took the time to look at how other areas implemented it before implementing ours that almost everyone would have liked them and use them properly.

Its too bad the program ends up costing more then manual collection because of the asinine way we implemented it.

Fellow winnipeg peeps that have them.. would you say that the rest of winnipeg should get them?

I'm still mixed.

There was a few weeks where I had done some major cleaning at home, and had to add just one bag (out of 12) per week to my regular pickup, because they wouldn't fit in the can.

Before I could've just put all the bags in a big pile out back and they'd go in the next pickup.

One thing that also has changed seems to be the pickup time.
In the last two months, I've called 311 4 times because they came to gather our street before 7am (closer to 6:30am), and I didn't have everything out yet.

They tell you have it out by 7:00am, which should indicate they don't start gathering anything UNTIL 7am.

3 times it was the recycling, once the garbage collection.

They sent someone out later that day to pickup the stuff that was missed.

TO address the smell of the can though Dean...I'd recommend drilling two holes in the bottom of your can. This will let the water out, and allow you to just hose it out and rinse it. Makes a BIG difference for odour and cleanliness of the cans.

yeah they are not supposed to start pick up until 7. Very legit complaint, but would not have changed I guess if it was still manual pick up?

and yeah the size sometimes catches me when I do some big clean up or whatever and not having a truck I cant really cart the garbage to the dump myself. I am contemplating the bigger can/or an additional can.


Thought about the drilling holes. Meant to call and ask about it. I would really not care to much for being charged for the can if it breaks in winter because I destroyed the structural integrity.

I think it's great! We've had zero problems and haven't even filled it up yet...I find that we are recycling way more now then we were before. Two thumbs up!

"I find that we are recycling way more now then we were before."

which is why I wish the automated recycling kicked in. Mind you.....what would I do when I have lots of extra recycling? heh.

I like the automated system. I only have 1 concern and that is the bin size. I think we should be allowed to up size our bins for a small fee.

I would love to see a bin for recycling, nothing worse than seeing all the newspapers and stuff flying around on windy days.

ummm...you can upsize your trash bin for a small fee.

and there are about 6 different sized Recycling boxes available, including one almost a metre tall for the current system.

AGEsAces wrote:ummm...you can upsize your trash bin for a small fee.

and there are about 6 different sized Recycling boxes available, including one almost a metre tall for the current system.

I thought the city was not offering that to us. I shall call 311 and check. Thanks for the heads up.

I've heard that a lot of the recycling material ends up at Brady Road anyway, as there are no markets for much of the stuff. Someone mentioned the number is one out of five.

I believe that was 10 years ago. Thought they resolved all that?

That's what I thought too.

I'd like to be able to alert the collectors when it's full. A click of a button online or a simple phone in would put you in the qeueueueueu. An automated mapping system would outline the collectors best and most efficient route. I can dream. xD

not bad idea.

But what about when unscrupulous people hack the system and send the truck off to areas that dont need pick up is in fact an ambush to steal the truck or the contents..

yeah,, see you got to think these ideas through ...

That's easy. The collectors just need to opt-in on the 'do not kill' and the 'do not steal' registries.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/new-do-not-kill-registry-to-allow-americans-to-opt,18155/

Actually, the bin is fine. There was only one week where we actually had too much garbage and thats a family of 5 adults. With 3 healthy young sons at home, there is no problem for me to move the bin to the lane on garbage day. I wish we had similar bins for recycling.

Granted, the smell does get a little intense at times, but after all, it is garbage.

Will they be rolling this out to the entire city?

Hose + water = no smell

just say'n

JTF wrote:Hose + water = no smell

just say'n

I do that on a regular basis, but if you hit one of those weeks with a long weekend which throws the cycle off, things get pretty ripe just before garbage day.

Besides, I have only nice smelling garbage.

grumpy old man wrote:Will they be rolling this out to the entire city?

they are in the process of rethinking the whole nightmare since they messed it up so badly in our area and it ends up costing the city more to implement now.

Good idea. Perhaps sober second thought should be undertaken on all city projects.

the problem was that the city waste department screwed up,
they never really consulted with anyone when they decided to offer the tender the two different ways (manual and automated)
they never really even researched what exactly automated pickup was in other cities and how those cities implemented it
they never really gave enough time for council to review the contract because the old one was expiring
Then council instead of looking at the offered contract for the garbage that it was, without simply typing automated garbage pickup into google before voting on the contract, they just accepted it because "they had to"

Automated pick up can work wonderfully. It has to be implemented properly. But you know what? Studying the issue does not really need to take that long, they simply need to look at how other cities did it.

The program cannot be implemented in older areas as there is a problem with collecting from both sides of the lane.

Again, not well thought out...as usual around here eh.

Simple solution. Dont use back lanes.

Ya right.