Calgary 'pay as you throw' garbage pickup system shouldn't proceed, committee says

The City of Calgary should not proceed with a "pay as you throw" system for garbage pickup, council's community development committee agreed Thursday.

The program was initially considered in late 2019.

At Thursday's meeting, city administration cited technological barriers and potential higher black cart charges as reasons against its implementation. With the introduction of recycling and curbside compost carts, the amount of waste being picked up from black carts has fallen significantly. 

Ward 11 Coun. Kourtney Penner said customer engagement and research have produced a "robust" waste and recycling program, negating the need for such a solution.

"When we start to think about changing up the program, or thinking actually about trying to innovate and find different ways for other customers to save money, or reduce the frequency of pickup, we actually find it costs us more in the long run to implement those technologies," she said. 

"So, in this case, one of those things is: simple is better."

The program as described would have used the existing identification chips in black bins to track how often garbage is picked up from homes. Those who put out their bins less frequently would have received lower bills. 

However, city administration said limitations of technology could have resulted in tens of thousands of billing errors on a monthly basis. In addition, the city's analysis indicated the costs associated with the project would have outweighed potential savings.

The city community development committee voted 7-0 in support of administration's recommendation not to proceed with "pay as you throw."

The program will now be discussed by council later this month.