garbage bin

It's sometimes said that anything worthwhile takes a little extra effort.  Recycling is one of those things but Moose Jaw City Council has decided the inconvenience isn't worth the payoff.

After deciding to go to bi-weekly garbage collection this winter, councillors have reversed the decision and have scrapped the idea altogether.  The pilot project saved $16,000 last winter and kept 137 tonnes of trash out of the landfill.  When the decision came up last week to keep it around for another winter, the majority of councillors gave initial approval.

But when it came time for final approval Monday night, Councillor Dawn Luhning explained she had thought about it and changed her mind. "I have to admit that I would not see a problem with it changing to bi-weekly but yet I see the concerns and I'm hearing the concerns from citizens who have said to me 'please don't change to bi-weekly pick up in the winter'. It is a minimal savings."

Councillor Brian Swanson agreed that it was just too much of an inconvenience for so little in return.  He did say that he could support the idea as a cost savings measure if it was part of a bigger plan of 20 or so initiatives but not when it's the only one.

The idea of saving money wasn't a factor for Councillor Heather Eby or Don Mitchell.  Both Councillors said this is more about trying to change the way residents see garbage and recycling.  Times are changing and our city needs to embrace that.

"It's not about the cost savings." said Eby. "Overall, this is good for the city. It will help us help our residents to begin to change our habits before we're forced to change. Recycling is coming whether we like it or not and it's the way of the world."

When it came time for the vote, it ended in a 3-3 tie. The motion needed majority support to be passed so there will be regular weekly collection from now on.  Councillor Terry Coleman was absent from the meeting but had voted against the idea during the initial meeting last week.