This Friday, the N6 Mayors will be meeting once again with the CEO of Circular Materials pushing for real solutions to the Blue Bin rollout — including options for smaller bins and greater flexibility for residents.
I am pleased to report that N6 Mayors will also be meeting with the Minister of the Environment to ensure our community’s concerns are heard directly by the key decision makers.
This is truly an all-hands-on-deck effort, and I’m proud of the work my fellow Mayors have done as we’ve come together to work collaboratively and constructively to get results for our residents. That’s what true leadership and partnership look like.
After the meeting, I will work with our staff to share any updates and outline the next steps for the community.
You can count on me to keep advocating for Aurora residents and ensuring your voices matter.
Please continue to share your comments and feedback at [email protected] — I want to hear from you, Aurora, and make sure your voice is heard at this meeting!
12 Responses
This bin is too large, will take me months to fill it. What I see happening is people putting there extra bags of garbage . We need a choice on size.
These bins are too large. They do not fit in the garages. Rolling them out in the winter on the driveway is full of snow is going to be a challenge. Don’t want this thing in front of my house. Make my home look like trash. What about people who live in town houses? How are they gonna maneuver this thing around? What about the elderly who have health issues and challenges? Please reconsider this decision and come up with a much easier solution.
Dito Andrea exactly!!
These bins are too large. They do not fit in the garages. Rolling them out in the winter on the driveway is full of snow is going to be a challenge. Don’t want this thing in front of my house. Make my home look like trash. What about people who live in town houses? How are they gonna maneuver this thing around? What about the elderly who have health issues and challenges? Please reconsider this decision and come up with a much easier solution.
Hello Tom,
I received my monster blue bin last week and I am still trying to figure out where to store it. It is also not clear to me if all of our blue box submission are to dumped into this monster bin. Has the notion of separation of materials at source being us the residents gone by the way side? And what is the plan to deal with our current blue boxes? Are we expected to dump them into these monster bins as well? It seems like this change in recycling and return process is in itself contributing to the wasted resources issues instead of a reuse approach. Personally I would prefer smaller bins and more sorting at source but this all presupposes that our recycling infrastructure is designed to manage our waste resources in an effective, meaningful and cost beneficial manner that is capable of leveraging new and innovative approaches for current and future generations. I know this community has many people that are not only highly intelligent but are more importantly passionate and very caring about our home town we call Aurora. This may very well be a prime opportunity for our leaders and decision makers to honestly strive to think about real solutions that are out of these monster blue boxes. With the kindest of regards ……
Concerning the size of the new, industrial sized, recycle bins. For 2 people living in a townhouse (the situation for many in Aurora) there is enough room for months of recycled waste, if full moving it would not be possible,I am 86. Also it is extremely difficult to fit in the garage. I am also concerned that many will leave them outside resulting in an eye sore for the street scape. I sincerely hope smaller versions will be made available for the benefit of the majority of Aurora home owners. I have contacted both our Mayor and my MPP on this issue.
Sincerely,
Bob Charlton
27 Tucker Court
Aurora
Hi Tom:
I am a Senior living in a lovely Century home near the Town Park. I definitely do not have an appropriate location to store this enormous 95 gallon wheeled blue cart. This Industrial sized cart is extremely difficult to manage & is going to be a nightmare, in the winter ice & snow, to manoeuvre to the curb. The rules for collection are unmanageable – 3 ‘ from any obstacle & on a flat surface, clear of ice & snow.
Previously, when I lived in Toronto, we could choose container that were an appropriate size for our needs & location. This situation is ridiculous!
I am writing to seek clarification on several points regarding Ontario’s new recyclables collection system. The transition to bi-weekly collection and the new bins have raised practical concerns that I hope can be address.
Rationale for Change: Given that the previous weekly system was satisfactory, what was the primary reason for this change, especially considering the significant investment required?
Bin Practicality: The new bins are difficult to manage and store for many residents, particularly those with limited space. Why was this specific size chosen, and are there alternatives for households that cannot accommodate them?
Collection Frequency: What data or analysis supported the decision to move to a bi-weekly schedule instead weekly? The new system simply anticipates using households for more garbage storage!
Municipal Consultation: Reports indicate that local mayors felt excluded from the decision-making process. Can you clarify how municipalities were consulted on a change that they will be responsible for implementing?
Thank you for the attention to these concerns. I look forward to some clarification.
Sincerely, Zaid Jurji
I spoke with someone at Circular Materials last week who assured me that we could request smaller sized bins… but not ‘till January. She said I must call Green For Live then to request an exchange. She advised me that I will be interrogated about my age (mid-70s) and any relevant medical problems to justify why I do not want this monstrosity in my driveway.
BULL! No taxpaying residents should have to supply personal information to justify their reasons for wanting a smaller bin – it’s our right to make this choice. Torontonians have a choice of three or four sizes – with wheels and lids. Newmarket, Markham and Richmond Hill, it seems, will continue to use the regular bins as before. Residents have every right to expect our Council and our Mayor to ensure that we have the same choices available to other municipalities.
I hope this huge bin can be removed before it’s buried in snow.
I am a senior, short lady, so surprised receiving this huge blue bin, almost my height. I cannot imagine to move this giant blue bin to curb side in snowy icy conditions,
it will be so hard to clean it down to the bottom, especially in Summer time. It will take up a month to fill up this bin.
A choice of size selection is more appropriate to a single household family.
Concerns Regarding New Recycling Carts for the Beacon Hall Community Concerns Regarding New Recycling Carts for the Beacon Hall Community
Dear Mr. Mrakas,
I hope you are doing well.
I am writing on behalf of the Beacon Hall community regarding the upcoming transition to the new 95-gallon recycling carts. While we understand and support the Town’s environmental initiatives and the province’s transition to the new Blue Box program, we would like to bring forward a significant concern affecting our residents.
Beacon Hall is a unique community with a large population of senior homeowners. Many of these residents will face considerable difficulty managing the new oversized recycling carts due to their size, weight, and maneuverability. In addition to this, several homes are situated at the bottom of steep driveways or hill areas that require residents to drag the bins uphill for more than 70 meters to place them on Beacon Hall Drive for collection. For many seniors, this is not practical and, in some cases, not physically possible.
We kindly ask the Town to consider accommodations or alternative solutions for communities like Beacon Hall, where the standard recycling cart may present accessibility challenges. Options such as smaller bins, assisted collection services, or an exemption process would greatly support the safety and well-being of our residents.
We would appreciate the opportunity to discuss this matter further and explore potential solutions that ensure accessibility while meeting program requirements.
Thank you very much for your attention to this important issue. We look forward to your guidance.
Warm regards,
Amir Tahmasbi
Property Manager, Beacon Hall Community
What a joke. I would love to see the procurement process for this. These bins are too big, and once every two weeks pick up is nuts. Just another way to stick it to the taxpayers. crappy service and our taxes go up. And a whole bunch of people are unemployed . well done Tom