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Toronto Waste Levies in Condos
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April, 2010

By Lynn Gorman

Many condominiums have chosen to opt out of city waste pick-ups in Toronto and have saved themselves a great deal of money. Those that have stayed in the program should do a comparison in pricing. Depending on the size and age of the building, there could be savings of up to ten thousand dollars a year. With condo boards and property managers scrambling this year to present a budget that will not increase maintenance fees drastically, going to a private hauler could be a savings solution. HST begins in July and is not going away, but instead of spending twenty to thirty thousand dollars a year on waste, those costs could be cut by up to 50 per cent.

 

Everyone should have received at least one waste levy invoice. Now it is possible to start comparing the levies to private hauler pricing. There are several private waste haulers knocking on condominium doors but keep in mind that that cheaper is not always better. The last thing anyone wants is for someone to find waste being illegally dumped and linked to their condominium building.

Choose a reputable company that belongs to the Ontario Waste Management Association (OWMA). Their website, www.owma.org has a list of all the companies that are qualified members for recycling and residential waste removal. These companies will make certain carefully sorted recycling is in fact recycled and does not end up in landfill.
When comparing prices check all levels of pricing including recycling, bulk item pick-ups, gas and/or recycling levies (if applicable) and taxes. This is the only way to realistically be able to compare all of the applicable elements relevant to a building.

There are also concerns regarding private hauler pricing. Some people are under the impression that pricing can and will be increased to more than the city levies. Like every other service, there is a contract signed by both parties. Every reputable company will hold pricing for at least one year and will cap increases. Some companies will only increase pricing according to the Consumer Price Index. This would give everyone more insight than the City is giving. At least you can negotiate with private haulers. You can’t do that with the City.

When the City claimed that they only needed $24 thousand to cover the solid waste program, they led everyone to believe that the levies would be lowered once the City realized that they were collecting at least double the amount needed. Many property managers took a wait and see attitude. This cost condo corporations thousands of dollars. Not only did the City have no intention of lowering the levies, they proposed an increase in 2010. The garbage strike is the only reason the increase did not take place.

The City’s Solid Waste Management team hasn’t mentioned that they will be forcing commercial properties to recycle, especially organics. Just think of how much landfill would be saved if all of the restaurants in the GTA had to remove all food waste through organics. Instead the “Waste Police” are sending letters to condominiums telling them what size of organic bins they need to buy. Everyone on City Council who recommended this should live in a building that has the organic bin placed near their unit. The joy of sitting on your balcony no longer exists because of the smell coming from the organic bin with one week’s worth of food waste and dirty diapers. They should also be the people to clean the carpets that have waste drippings leading from the units through the hall, down the elevator and out the building to dispose of the organics.

Many articles warn not to opt out of the City program for fear of having to meet stringent requirement when opting back in and the financial cost of meeting such requirements. But why would someone want back into the City program when they are saving thousands of dollars by going to a private hauler? Condominiums don’t just save in the waste and recycling pick-ups. They save by not having to install compactors, by not having to buy organic bins and/or recycling bins. They also save by not having to meet the City’s demands for having to re-build the waste compound to meet the City’s needs. The condo boards are in control when using a private hauler.

Everyone needs to recycle to save our planet. Going to a private waste hauler does not and should not mean that condominiums do not recycle. Some buildings have opted out of recycling but are now having their recycling picked up twice a week and are still saving money. All property managers and board members should compare pricing and service with the City levy to see whether a private hauler will provide a better fit for their building.

For help in doing a comparison, contact Lynn Gorman, Waste Consultant, at lgorman@live.ca.
 		  
 
 
 
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