Rollout of automated garbage and recycling collection by the Regional District of Nanaimo has been a steep learning curve for the RDN and residents alike (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

ROLLOUT

‘Everything’s a challenge:’ RDN automated garbage collection not perfect, but progressing

Nov 12, 2020 | 5:25 AM

NANAIMO — It hasn’t been smooth sailing, however the Regional District of Nanaimo believes their automated garbage collection rollout has been a success.

Effective Oct. 1, the RDN transitioned from a manual collection to a system more in line with cities in the region. It affected homes outside of city limits between Cedar and Bowser.

Larry Gardner, RDN manager of solid waste, told NanaimoNewsNOW it’s difficult to roll out a new program for 30,000 homes and have things go perfectly.

“Everything’s a challenge from having people learning the new system, setting out their carts, making sure they’re facing the road, they’re orientated straight with the road, there’s not overhanging vegetation where the trucks have difficulty picking up.”

During the first month of the program, RDN staff would drive ahead of collection trucks to properly position bins. Gardner said he had seen people out for walks, straightening their neighbour’s bins to ensure they were collected.

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“As we’re getting into the second month, we’re not sending staff ahead around and drivers aren’t getting out so we are seeing a few that are being left behind and that’s a bit of a learning curve for some of the residents as well.

Some residents objected to the new program, with cost and bin size the main concerns.

Gardner said one challenge in the first few weeks was a number of residents wanting to swap out their bins for a different size.

The RDN plans to have those requests completed by the end of November and will then turn to working with new homes coming on board.

Residents are also beginning to send in their old bins as part of a collection and recycling effort by the RDN.

Empty, clean containers can be dropped off at the RDN landfill in Cedar or the transfer station in Parksville.

Curbside pickup is also available on certain days between Nov. 17 and 28.

The collected bins will be made available for re-purposing by others looking for storage or animal feed containers.

Any containers not collected for re-use by the end of November will be sent to Delta for recycling.

alex.rawnsley@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley