Clear Bag Program
Effective June 1, 2021, 'Clear' Garbage Bags became mandatory for the collection of all non-recyclable waste (Garbage) in the Township of North Kawartha. This includes the Curbside Garbage Collection Program, and the Transfer Station Collection of Garbage.
All Municipalities in Peterborough County will have implemented a ‘clear bag’ program by 2021, due to increasing garbage weights, mandatory recycling requirements and decreasing diversion rates. The County and the City of Peterborough, all have the overall objective of prolonging the life of the Bensfort Road Landfill Site. Note: Diversion is the percentage of recyclable material removed from the overall waste stream.
It has been proven that using ‘clear’ garbage bags is a cost-effective Municipal measure to remove recycling from the waste stream, increase diversion rates, and thereby reduce the amount of garbage being deposited into landfills. And in doing this, it will also improve worker safety by allowing Waste Staff an assessment of garbage bags, in a safe and less invasive manner, to ensure garbage bags do not contain hazardous waste, in addition to recyclables.
In preparation for the switch, a Clear Bag Program flyer was mailed out to all residents of North Kawartha on April 29th, an informative article about the switch to Clear Bags appeared in Peterborough This Week on May 23rd, mobile letterboard signs, posters, and social media posts were used to inform as many residents as possible. An additional Clear Bag Program flyer was mailed out on May 28th, which included the County's Recycling and Sorting Guide, a free 90 litre clear bag, and a $2 coupon toward the purchase of more bags.
In a video interview conducted in February, Mayor Carolyn Amyotte and Gary Geraldi the Director of Parks & Recreation and Waste Management, discussed the change to clear bags, providing insight into how this will work, and why the change is so important. You can view the video here
To better assist you in determining ‘what is’ and ‘what isn’t’ accepted in the Curbside Blue Box Recycling Program, please check out our Recycling/Blue Boxes Page or download the Peterborough County Recycling and Sorting Guide. These guidelines also apply at the Transfer Stations. Please visit our "Garbage and Recycling" page for more information on additional recycling/diversion programs available at the Transfer Stations. You may find the "North Kawartha Transfer Station Programs and Services" dropdown particularly helpful.
Clear Bag Program Frequently Asked Questions |
1. When did the Clear Bag Program start? 2. What is a clear garbage bag? 3. Why would a Municipality want to implement a Clear Bag Program? 4. What do I do with my left-over opaque garbage bags? 5. What about my privacy? What if there are items in my garbage, that I do not feel comfortable having exposed? 6. What retailers sell clear garbage bags? 7. Does the use of clear garbage bags increase waste diversion? Note: Diversion is the percentage of recyclable material removed from the overall waste stream. Diversion rates are calculated and reported on an annual basis and should not be less than 50%. For example, there should be 1kg of recycling for every 1kg of garbage. 8. I am already recycling and diverting as much as I can from the garbage so why do I need to do this? 9. What if my clear garbage bag contains recyclable material? Divertible/recyclable material includes, but is not limited to: Construction and Demolition (C&D), Leaf and Yard Waste, Scrap Metal, Waste Electronics, etc. These materials may be accepted in designated areas at the Transfer Stations, that are not available through Curbside Collection. Therefore, if bringing your garbage to the Transfer Station, we are encouraging Residents to take advantage of all the other diversion/recycling programs available. Note: there must be Zero Blue Box Material in the garbage bag, whether through Curbside Collection or at the Transfer Stations. Blue Box Material (such as Containers and/or Fibres) is banned from the Bensfort Rd. Landfill Site, as per the County of Peterborough By-Law. 10. Someone else is using my cottage/residence this summer, what are my responsibilities? 11. What if I do not use a clear garbage bag? |
Your Additional Questions Answered |
The overriding reason for the switch to clear bags, is to try and keep as much recyclable material as possible out of landfills. Clear bags allow the attendants to see (for example) the 30 aluminum cans that should rightfully be recycled, or the half litre of paint that is hazardous waste. Conversely, used diapers, tissues, paper towels, etc. are "contaminated" and should not be recycled as fibres, they are garbage. Nonetheless, what follows are some of the questions we have received regarding specific items: Can I use clear blue bags for garbage or recycling? Can’t we use grocery store bags in places like the kitchen or bathroom and just put them in the clear bag? And is it one, small, white, privacy bag per each clear large garbage bag? Where can I put coffee grinds, food waste, etc.? What is the colour of organic bags, or should they be Compostable? Where do dirty napkins, Kleenex, paper towel, diapers, cat litter, dog poop go? Where do juice boxes go? Is all Styrofoam garbage? Can all frozen food bags be recycled, or are some just garbage? I have always put empty ice cream boxes in the garbage; is that correct? If broken glass is wrapped in newspaper is that OK? How would the curbside garbage collector deal with a clear bag half-filled with several items wrapped in newspaper? |
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