Norfolk residents share opinions about curbside waste collection

Norfolk residents have lots of opinions about their garbage.

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Almost 1,900 people responded to surveys conducted by county staff about curbside waste collection, including garbage, recycling, leaf and yard waste and bulky items.

Norfolk’s current curbside waste collection contract expires in September 2026 and staff are examining collection options. County residents dispose of about 20,000 tons of material at the curb annually.

“We were very pleased and extremely shocked at the number of responses we got,” said Andrew Grice,

general manager of environmental and infrastructure services. “It gives us information we can build into our review and bring forward to council.”

The survey results include:

• 58 percent of respondents said no to an organics collection (green bin) program.

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• 70 percent of respondents said they were happy with the current 14-week collection program of leaf and yard waste.

• 40 percent of respondents preferred the current garbage collection program, which has a four-bag limit, while 55 percent preferred a reduction in bag limits. Many residents noted certain rural areas of the county where illegal dumping is prevalent and said reduced bag limits could exacerbate the problem.

• 61 percent of respondents said they aren’t in favour of a user pay system for garbage collection requiring pre-purchased tags placed on each bag.

• 43 percent of respondents said they don’t want an automated cart-based collection method municipalities are switching to due to labour shortages and health and safety concerns.

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• 62 percent of residents asked about the bulky item program said they preferred the former furniture and appliance program when residents could put out material every other year on a designated day for collection.

Marissa Bokla, Norfolk’s waste management supervisor, said she was “a little taken aback” with residents’ lack of interest in an organics program.

“I thought there would be more buy-in into the program, especially because there is so much environmental awareness now,” she said at a council-in-committee meeting on Tuesday.

Rural residents said in the survey they do not want to pay for services they do not receive, such as leaf and yard waste collection and a potential green bin program if it was only offered to urban residents.

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Regardless of public opinion, though, green bins are coming, said Bokla. An organics program will be required in Norfolk County under the province’s Food and Organic Policy Framework, likely in 2026.

Coun. Doug Brunton isn’t sure there will be a lot of uptake.

“To me there’s no question the organics will take more out of the waste than recycling,” said Brunton. “For rural people, we now compost in our backyard. In town, there are people who won’t do it. In the garbage bag it goes and that’s where it’s going to end up.”

Bokla said organic diversion is essential as landfills reach capacity by 2032.

“We don’t really have a choice,” she said. “Without taking our garbage anywhere, it’s in our best interest to try to divert it. And the price per tonne for landfilling is going to increase as capacity becomes smaller.”

Norfolk’s recycling program will transition to a producer responsibility in September, with companies that make recyclable products and packaging covering the cost for collecting and recycling.

County staff will return to council in September with recommendations for future curbside waste collection.

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