Baie-D’Urfé gets brown bins and goes even greener

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by Rhonda Massad

Baie-D’Urfé residents will see the arrival of their organic compost bins very shortly with the official kick off to the new collection starting on September 8. This curbside collection will be weekly except for the months of December through March when it will be every two weeks. The program was unveiled to citizens on Earth Day this spring followed by workshops and information packages in hopes of a smooth kick off this fall.

Industrial composting is not new to the West Island, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Dollard des Ormeaux, Pointe Claire, Senneville and Pierrefonds all have organic pick up once a week. Pointe Claire being one of the first out of the gate in 2007. Beaconsfield remains without organic pickup and instead encourages residents to practice backyard composting.

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While some of our citizens compost in their backyards,” explained Baie-D’Urfé Mayor Maria Tutino, “though the Town has regular leaf and branch pick-ups during the year, the Town was only able to divert 18% of the organic waste from landfill.”

Consequently, according to Tutino, this is where the Town decided to concentrate its efforts in 2016. Given that about 60% of waste sent to landfill today is organic in nature (compostable materials 26%, yard waste 25% and organic waste unsuitable for typical backyard composting 8%), Baie-D’Urfé expects to improve their organic recovery position with the new regular organic waste collection program.

“We expect to dramatically reduce the quantity of tons of waste that we currently send to landfill,” the mayor added.

In 2014 Baie-D’Urfé sent 714 tons less waste to landfill than it sent in 2006, a 34% reduction.

“In 2014, we were successful in diverting from landfill 63% of recyclable materials, 63% of hazardous waste materials and 53% of bulky materials with our current waste reduction programs. With some minor improvements to our current collection methods this year we should see us approach the government target of 70% recovery of recyclables by 2025,” Tutino continued.

The organic pick up allows residents to compost such items as food residue (uncooked, cooked or rotten) fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and seafood, cheese, eggs and eggshells, bones as well as cereal products like bread, cake, pasta. Coffee dregs, tea leaves, and bags, non-waxed paper plates, milk products, paper towels, tissues, soiled newspapers
powders, hair, feathers and animal food.

Baie-D’Urfé will be including residential and municipal buildings as well as daycares and schools in the new program.