As I drove around my subdivision Tuesday night, post garbage/recycle pickup, I was struck by how many bins hadn’t been picked up.
Instead, they were marked with stickers – pink for recycle & blue for garbage – as they were not in compliance with pick-up regulation.
My issue is not at all with this strategy, people need to know what can and cannot be recycled, and which waste goes where.
What I do have a problem with, however, is the lack of communication on this matter on behalf of the Town of Morinville.
Tagging bins should not be the only way you communicate a message to residents. If the issue is really that problematic, an educational campaign should be drafted, ads should be placed, flyers delivered to doors.
Since this tag and drop system has been implemented, there have been no notes on the website, none posted to Twitter or Facebook. How on earth can you expect full compliance, when you are not fully communicating your message?
Town of Morinville, take this as a lesson, and start communicating with your residents, about more than just your festivals and parades.
It’s just…garbage.
Shannon Jensen
The garbage issue is fierce in this town. I refuse to recycle with gfl. They don’t collect my bags.
Sorry, but I have to respectfully disagree with this letter.
I have seen pamphlets and information sheets about waste removal and recycling included in my utility bills from the Town. In the past, if I’ve been uncertain if something could be recycled, I checked the Town’s website…it’s easy to find the info there. I’ve worked as a reporter for both newspapers in town (and several times covered garbage/recycling stories) and sat in Council meetings where Council and the admin debate, discuss, and make decisions related to waste management…often times, there were zero members of the public there. The Town has a eNewsletter and pays to put that kind of info in ads in the papers. They update their Facebook page and Twitter.
I just think, at some point, you have to do some work, too. Short of the Town paying someone to knock on everyone’s door (something I doubt we want our tax dollars to be used for) to make sure everyone understands the rules—what more can be done? Maybe if we, as residents, pay more attention or actively search out information, there’ll be less confusion. Just my two cents.
I will agree 100%!!!
Shannon Jensen… I guess you don’t follow the town of morinville Facebook page that closely.
You said they didn’t not post anything.
Well they did post it on their Facebook page.
I think before we jump down the towns throat about lack of communication we should do our research!
I remember seeing the update about it as well. I think as people we need to be a held accountable for some things and not play the blame game and point fingers because we just didn’t read something or out the effort in to make it our knowledge.
Facebook is not always a great way to update people. Not everyone has it and many people don’t want to follow a town Facebook page. They should use different methods maybe . I didn’t receive anything in my mail
I know most blue stickers have been over open lids, I’ve never seen the pink stickers. What kind of issues do they communicate?
I got a pink letter yesterday stating one of the boxes I got from Costco (which I put some of my other recyclables into) needed to be flattened so they refused to take it
Me too.
Good comment.
I think it’s the inconsistency with it though…. my one neighbours was so full the lid didn’t even close and was left hanging open.. it was picked up last week with no sticker… then another friend of mine had hers open an inch and they didn’t collect it and left a sticker….
so does it depend on who the driver is that day? Or are the drivers picking and choosing when to follow the guide lines.
that was me! My bin was CLEARLY not full, my son had thrown a bag in and apart of it was sticking out causing the lid to be open by la bit, but when you walked up to put the sticker on could see it wasn’t overloaded, actually half empty, they didn’t take it, I dont remember getting a letter in my bill until after they started this, perhaps i didn’t notice until after it affected me, but the fact that my bin was not full was upsetting, we pay so much for these services…….
Marnie Sneddon this was a lady a couple houses down on the other side of me. Her bin was literally pouring garbage out of it. And I thought to myself that there is no way they will take that. Well guess what I watched the garbage come and take it away. So why is it they take some away but ticket others. So frustrating ??♀️
Lauren Horiachka I couldn’t agree more! Frustrating especially because mine certainly wasnt full
^^^ I’ve never had an issue with my recycling until yesterday they took one box but not another. Took the time to put a pink sticker on the one box they left saying it needed to be broken down, however the box they took wasn’t broken down either and we don’t normal break down all our boxes anyways with no problems until this week. We pay high taxes plus pay for garbage and water on top of that. This is getting ridiculous.
I got a pink note on my recycling box because it wasn’t one meter from my garbage bin. But, they took the bagged recycling that was in it ?
I always put out my blue bin stuff with blue bags and boxes with flattened cardboard inside said box. It all always get picked up.
Kris Wick
Maybe they should bring back the bigger garbage bins since most I know are overfilling the new gray ones
Go for another ride around today, just as bad. But some dude put a shovel in the garbage… its sticking out ?♀️
Maria Wood I saw a shovel handle in my road. Whatever. I give zero shits about your garbage.
Haha where else are u suppose to put a broken pieces of a shovel
Well exactly. I hate GFL as a company. It’s not the end of the world. It’s a shovel.
Agreed!
Seven years of living in the same house always put our recycling out the same way came home to pink stickers…… what a crock of shit. We pay for this service and it’s getting worse every time. They expect us to crush or take apart all our boxes and bag them some of this cardboard it too thick and seriously why all of a sudden are we getting such grief. Maybe time to look a different company or change things back to what was working. I get that it is our responsibility to make sure we put it out neatly but I for one don’t have time or the patience to go on the computer to find out what rules they have changed. I also put out my daughters garbage and I put a bunch of boxes out last week they were all taken. So is this a rule issue or just a person issue. The person who did it this week didn’t want to take our cardboard. Either way if it made it to the curb they should take it and not all of us have the time to investigate or cut up cardboard. We pay enough so what this town needs is a company
willing to take our recycling all of it.
I think we need to learn to recycle more. I am a family of four and never ever come close to filling the grey bin. But I have a ridiculous amount of recycling. Which yes I do have to break down so I understand people not wanting to do that.
It won’t post my picture… but on April 19, the town of morinville Facebook page posted a notice about garbage!
It stated you can rent a second garbage bin for $7.50 a month if you have too much garbage.
It also helped teach people the Options like organics and recycle.
On the yearly calendar that gets sent out it has a clear picture of what you garbage collection is supposed to look like on the curb.
Don’t blame the town for a problem that is not theirs.
Respect the people who collect your garbage and set them out proper way so they can do their job!
A garbage/recycle information newsletter also went out in the April utilities bill.
I saw that too, but this was AFTER they refused to take mine due to a small piece stiking out, bin was half empty, my sone just didn’t get the bag all the way in, so the lid was cracked open, when the guy got out to put the sticker on, it was clearly visible that the bin was NOT full
I wrote a letter to the person in charge and it wasn’t something we did and the blame was correct. They have a new person collecting. Hence all the pink stickies
Morinville made an App called Morinville Waste Wizard. It’s been out at least a year. Tells you what you can and cannot recycle. Check it out on the App Store.
There is one rule. Black and white. Lid closed….they pick it up. Lid open…..they don’t. I’m not confused. My garbage continues to get picked up every week.
Not even close to black and white. I see “concessions” made every single week. Literally.
Have they ever not picked up a bin that had a closed lid?
i received a note on placement of my recycle because i put it behind post out of wind, the next week it wasnt picked up i guessing out of laziness or punishment?
Melanie Michelle Jones
I remember the good old days when your garbage was just picked up without prejudice. Private contractors doing what should be a town job.
Kinda like photo radar. 🙂
When you were allowed four bags per week (of any size), and if you had six but your neighbor had two, you could throw a couple in front of his house.
James Bedford now we’re talking!!