Some missed waste collection carts to be picked up on Monday

Delays and missed collections are being reported as Waterloo Region launches a new waste collection system. CTV’s Alexandra Holyk reports.

If your waste collection cart still hasn’t been picked up, you may need to put it back out.

In a social media post on Sunday afternoon, the Region of Waterloo said there will be no regularly scheduled waste collection on Sunday or Monday.

However, due to some delays, anyone whose cart wasn’t picked up last week is being asked to put their carts back out on Monday, March 9 by 7 a.m.

“We appreciate your patience while we are reviewing reports of missed collection from earlier in the week. Region Waste Management staff will reach out to specific cases about what to do next,” the post said.

A third-party contractor is responsible for collection, and the region said they brought on additional support earlier this week to tackle some persistent challenges.

“Our contractor did bring in extra trucks,” Olivia Kwok, the region’s director of waste management, previously told CTV News. “They brought in more just to help with the service in the region.”

How to position carts

When putting out garbage, residents should place the carts with about two feet, or approximately an arm’s length of space, between them.

The arrow on the lid should point to the street, the handle should point toward the home, and the lid should be closed. The lid on the green organics carts can also remain locked, as it will open during the tipping process.

Bags can be used inside the carts (compostable bags or paper liners in the case of the green organics bin), or loose items can be placed directly inside.

The truck’s mechanical arm dumps the carts into an area that has two different sections: one for organic materials and the other for waste.

Residents may receive a gold star sticker for properly placing their bins.