New garbage bag regulations come into effect in North Bay on Jan. 1
Garbage collection in North Bay is changing in the New Year in an effort to extend the life of the Merrick Landfill site.
The number of garbage bags for pickup per household is going down from three bags to two effective Jan. 1.
“The community can get on board and embrace it and be part of the change,” said Clean, Green, Beautiful North Bay spokesperson Hariett Madigan. “We’re talking about the health of the Earth.”
It’s an effort to get the public to recycle more. Each bag or garbage container can't weigh more than 35 pounds and containers can't be larger than 33 gallons.
“North Bay has been one of the last communities in northern Ontario to reduce the amount of waste we put out on a weekly basis,” said city Coun. Chris Mayne.
Bag tags, at $2 each, can be bought at city hall when residents go over the bag limit. Each home is allowed to have four additional bags on the curb as long as they’re properly tagged.
“I expect at some time at the next year, or two or three, there will be further decisions to reduce from two bags to one bag,” said Mayne. “Here in the City of North Bay, we recycle virtually anything you can think of.”
For industrial or commercial properties, the garbage bag limit will drop from 12 bags to 10. Past audits have found up to 40 per cent of waste at the Merrick Landfill could have been recycled.
“There’s about 19-21 years of life in the landfill left,” said Mayne. “When we do have to get to the point of having to add additional cells, it will cost in the tens of millions of dollars.”
Due to lower population density, the city is not required by the province to implement a green bin collection program.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
MPs agree Canadian gov't should improve new disability benefit
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL has suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
New charges for Ont. woman who previously admitted to defrauding doulas
The Brantford, Ont. woman who was previously sentenced to house arrest after admitting to deceiving doulas has been charged again in connection to a new victim.