Residents have until March 31 to choose their new blue bin

Côte Saint-Luc, February 27, 2009 – Residents of Côte Saint-Luc have until March 31 to choose between three sizes of blue bins, which the city will deliver to single-family homes and duplexes this spring.

“In 2008, Côte Saint-Luc introduced recycling in apartment and condominium buildings, which has helped increase our overall recycling rate and reduced the amount of garbage sent to landfills,” Mayor Anthony Housefather said. “With the introduction of new, taller blue bins in single-family homes and duplexes in 2009, we hope to increase the recycling rate even more.”

The blue bins are available in sizes of 120 litres, 240 litres and 360 litres. Residents will receive a detailed flyer by mail next with more information. Residents can inform the city of their choice by recording a message at 514-485-6868 ext. 5555, completing the form at ecoCSL.org or visiting the city hall (5801 Cavendish Blvd.) weekdays between 8:30am and 4:30pm.

If residents don’t inform the city of their choice by March 31, they will receive the 240 litre blue bin. Delivery of the new wheeled blue bins will begin in May or June. Once residents receive their new blue bins, they must begin using them right away because the recycling collection trucks will use a mechanical arm to lift blue bins into the air and dump the contents into the truck. These trucks cannot use the arm to collect the old blue boxes.

“We recognize that in the current global economic crisis the recycling industry is suffering a set back,” Mayor Housefather said. “While we hope to encourage residents to recycle items rather than throw them away in the garbage, we also encourage them to reduce the amount of household waste they produce and to reuse what they can."

To get the lowest possible price for recycling collection, Côte Saint-Luc joined 13 suburban municipalities on the island of Montreal in switching to taller blue bins in 2009. These bins replace the old 64 litre blue boxes first introduced in the 1980s.

“As the landfill sites in and around the island of Montreal are reaching capacity and are gradually being shut down, the Quebec government has mandated us to increase our diversion of waste away from landfill and towards recycling and organic waste recovery,” said Councillor Dida Berku, the council member responsible for environmental issues. “We need to reduce, reuse and then recycle.”

Apart from giving residents more room to store their recyclables, residents of single-family homes and duplexes will not have to sort their recyclables anymore. Instead, they can simply toss paper, cardboard, plastic, metal and glass into the blue bin. Another benefit is that the new blue bins will be easier to bring to the curb because they have wheels. Finally, the blue bin cover will help prevent rain or snow from wetting the materials inside and prevent the wind from blowing recyclables into the street on collection day.

Owners of single-family homes and duplexes were charged a one-time fee of $50 on their property tax bill earlier this year to pay for their new blue bin. Owners of duplexes will receive only one new bin, which they can share with tenant. To order a second blue bin at a cost of $50, residents can call 514-485-6868 extension 5555 before March 31.

For more information: Darryl Levine, Director of Public Affairs and Communications, 514-485-8905, dlevine@cotesaintluc.org