The Niagara Region fine for illegal dumping is doubling, as the region rolls out new garbage collection rules for the fall.
The Region is switching its garbage collection schedule from weekly to every other week in an effort to reduce landfill use. With that comes bylaw updates, which includes adjustments to the illegal dumping fine.
That fine is currently $500 per offense, but, subject to Niagara Regional Council approval, it will double to $1000, said Catherine Catherine Habermebl, Director of Waste Management, Niagara Region. “That will be going to council then we will take to the courts to get any short-form wording approved.”
Niagara Region’s Waste Management waste bylaw doesn’t allow recyclable and organic material in the garbage at curbside. The fine for violating that that offense is not changing under the new rules.
Starting Oct. 19, the Region’s garbage trucks will still pick up recycling and organic waste weekly, but garbage bins dragged to the curb will only be picked up every two weeks.
If you put out two garbage bags per bin per week under the old garbage pickup plan, you’ll be able to double your garbage allocation at curbside every two weeks. The volume of garbage removal per household is not changing, just the frequency of when it is picked up.
Niagara Region’s website says: “Residents who use their Blue Box, Grey Box and Green Bin should be able to stay within the two garbage bag / can limit every-other-week. Waste audit results show that 64 per cent of what Niagara residents place in the garbage can be recycled or composted.”
The Region wants residents to do a better job of sorting their garbage, putting more recyclable materials into blue and grey boxes, and move the organic waste from the black bags into the green bins.
The new garbage rules will affect all Niagara Region communities including the West Niagara communities of Grimsby, Lincoln and West Lincoln, and Pelham.