A reminder to town residents that beginning April 1, 2024, solid coloured garbage bags will be rejected at the curb and transfer stations.
Wednesday, March 20th, 2024 – Beginning April 1, 2024, solid coloured garbage bags will be rejected at the curb and transfer stations. While Waste Check adopted a clear bag program for garbage in 2007, the use of one solid-coloured bag per residence was previously allowed. However, after April 1st 2024, only clear bags with no colour will be accepted in the Municipalities of Argyle, Clare, Digby, Yarmouth, the Town of Digby and the Town of Yarmouth.
The switch to only accepting clear bags reflects the importance of easily identifying hazards and ensuring that residents are sorting their waste properly.
“Clear transparent bags make a safer workspace for all the people involved in the collection and handling of our waste, while ensuring that everyone participates in our diversion programs”, said Gus Green, General Manager of Waste Check.
Audits were conducted on the black bags being used, and some residents are using them for unsorted waste, namely a combination of waste that could be recycled or placed in a clear bag. There are still individuals who are not participating in Waste Check’s recycling and composting programs, and the use of clear bags makes it safer and simpler to inspect bags for banned materials.
Starting April 1st, if a solid-coloured bag is used for garbage, a sticker indicating the problem will be placed on the bag, and it will not be collected that week or accepted at the transfer station. In this case, residents are required to remove the bag(s) from curbside, re-sort the contents of the bag if required, placing all garbage in a clear bag, recyclables in the two blue transparent bags (one for paper products and one for the other recyclables) and organics in a green cart. The bags should then be placed for curbside collection on their next scheduled pick up or brought back to the transfer station.
For waste that is sensitive or private in nature, such as sanitary products, one non-transparent privacy bag that is no larger than twenty by twenty-two inches in each clear bag will be accepted.
For more information and to view the full sorting guide, please visit: www.wastecheck.com/sorting.