When it comes to curbside waste collection in Nanaimo, shifting consumer waste habits caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has created delays.
According to a City of Nanaimo press release, the municipality’s curbside collection service has been experiencing delays lately, which have resulted in late evening or even next-day pickup of waste and recycling.
The city says the delays are due mainly to higher volumes of waste being set out as well as mechanical issues with their fleet. They also said the COVID-19 pandemic has seen shifted residential waste and disposal habits as more people purchase items online.
“Sanitation drivers are seeing increased volumes of recycling – especially very large quantities of cardboard boxes being discarded. Much of the cardboard in the blue carts does not meet size guidelines,” the city said in its press release, adding. “Overloading results in more frequent trips to and from the City’s recycling facility, more operating time, vehicle maintenance and increases pollution and the cost to deliver the user-funded curbside collection service.”
As a result, Taaj Daliran, the city’s manager of sanitation, recycling and cemeteries, is reminding residents to flatten their cardboard before placing them in the blue carts.
“When setting out cardboard in your blue cart, please ensure it is flattened and no larger than two feet in any dimension. This will help our staff collect in a timely fashion and reduce delays, and help keeps costs in check. We appreciate the public’s patience during this time and encourage you to sign up to our Nanaimo Recycles system to be notified if there are delays on your route.”
Further information on recyclables accepted in the blue cart can be found at www.nanaimo.ca/goto/recycle.
CHEK News
