Curb your yard waste
County hopes $75 fee will discourage visits to Seymour recycling centre
Northumberland County wants everyone to put their leaf and yard waste on the curb to be picked up, not take it to the Seymour Community Recycling Centre.
In a bid to encourage this behaviour, starting April 1 the county is going charge $75 per tonne or $7.50 for loads under 100 kilograms, for dumping such waste. Currently, the fee is $130 per tonne, but there is an exemption on the first 500 kilograms, so most people don’t have to pay anything.
During Wednesday’s council meeting, Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland asked why the county wanted to discourage residents from taking their yard waste to Seymour or other centres in Bewdley and Brighton.
Turns out the reason is that it costs the county more to handle waste at the centres.
The county’s contract with a private company requires it to pick up an unlimited amount of leaf and yard waste for the same fee, said Adam McCue, Associate Director, Operations Public Works. But it costs the county extra to handle waste that is taken to the centres.
The county also agreed to raise the fee for dumping regular waste at the centres to $150 per tonne from $130 per tonne.
McCue’s report to council said that while the number of visits to Seymour had increased 11 per cent to 19,584 in 2024, Bewdley saw a 58 per cent increase and Brighton a 49 per cent jump.
“The recent requirement to provide proof of residency has resulted in a 12 per cent decrease in usage and waste tonnages from residential and commercial customers,” he said.
McCue said staff believe that increasing the tipping fee for garbage and removing the exemption on yard waste will promote increased use of curbside collection and reduce the number of visits to the centres.
The county will increase its revenue from garbage tipping by $322,000 and yard waste by $193,000 in 2026 if the same amounts are dumped as in 2025, he said.
There is so much traffic to the Bewdley centre on Saturdays that vehicles are often backed up on to County Road 9 resulting in collisions, McCue said.
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I can see where the public will dump waste along rural roads or leave it at the garbage cans along the canal here in Campbellford or at the recycle bins CTC or the car wash. Progress you say. I suppose the county will cut down in staff at the dumps.
Why would MY taxes pay for other properties and contractors to bring in large amounts of free leaf & yard waste at the CRC.
Paying the true cost for large amounts is fair, or utilize the free service (tax paid) at the curb with unlimited quantities.