It is becoming glaringly apparent that Hamilton needs to adopt a tougher approach to residential and commercial garbage pickup.
While other Ontario communities, including municipalities surrounding Hamilton, have established aggressive waste diversion efforts, Hamilton’s attempts to be leading edge have been met with political regression.
As waste management task force members forcefully pointed out recently, the single greatest barrier to the city improving its 50 per cent diversion rate, is because of political inertia.
There is a misguided belief among councillors that if certain waste programs are installed – such as bi-weekly waste collection – somehow constituents will see it as a service reduction, and complain to their political representative.

They should look to Halton Region, which implemented bi-weekly waste collection, and found its diversion rate jumped to 59 per cent. Hamilton officials targeted 2008 to get to a 65 per cent diversion rate, and while the goal was extended to 2011, the city failed to meet it again.
Politicians’ reasoning for embracing the current status quo is that homeowners have had their patience tested over the last few years by a series of waste collection experiments.
Now is the time, they say, for residents to take a breath.
Unfortunately, waste waits for no person.
Even though the Glanbrook landfill site’s lifespan has been extended until 2036, the city’s commercial, retail, industrial,  and residential garbage continues to pile up, putting pressure on municipal services.
Councillors are scheduled to decide in January on the city’s new service delivery requirements. The city’s current waste collection system is set to expire in March 2013. The new contract will last from 2013 to 2020.
Next year, politicians will be required to review a number of service delivery options, including bi-weekly waste collection, container limits, larger blue boxes, smaller green carts, and even establishing bag tags, a use pay system that is long overdue for this municipality.
To be fair, politicians have complained the city has not done enough to prevent the illegal dumping that has occurred along the Niagara Escarpment.
They have also fielded complaints from businesses and organizations about people tossing garbage bags into their bins.
Councillors’ fear is if a user pay system is introduced, the illegal dumping problem will only continue to rise.
The simplest option would be for the city to adopt a bi-weekly collection system with a six container limit. This would increase the city’s diversion rate, while eliminating the city’s costly exemptions that runs counter to the city’s diversion goal.
It’s time city councillors join with the mainstream, and approve a new, and improved waste collection system that is both environmentally sustainable, and beneficial for all residents.