New blue bins “rolling out” this week amid concerns

As new recycling bins “roll out” across Aurora this week, measures are being taken to address residential concerns about the significantly larger containers.

Since the blue bin replacement was announced, residents have voiced worries about storage and how they can be handled by people with accessibility challenges.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mayor Tom Mrakas noted that the new blue bins are an initiative of the Provincial rather than Municipal government, a result of a move towards the Producer-Responsibility System that has taken the responsibility of recycling collections out of the municipality's hands to producers.

“Town staff have been trying to work with Circular Materials (CM) — the non-profit organization responsible for overseeing Ontario's new common collection system — which will manage Blue Box material collection from homes, residential buildings, and residential areas of mixed-use properties, for over a year,” said Mayor Mrakas. “Unfortunately, throughout this process, CM has provided limited responses to questions raised by both staff and municipalities. After months of uncertainty, they have rolled out a plan without offering municipalities or residents any alternative options in the Northern Six municipalities of York Region.”

Mayor Mrakas said he shared the concerns expressed, particularly those related to seniors, persons with accessibility challenges, and owners of smaller properties that might have difficulty storing the larger receptacles.
“To try and address these issues, I've been in contact with my colleagues from the Northern Six York Region municipalities, and we'll be meeting as soon as possible with executives from GFL to discuss what can be done,” he continued. “We'll be exploring whether there are alternative options or solutions that better meet the needs of our residents. Once that meeting takes place, I'll be providing an update to the community with any next steps or possible outcomes.”

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter