Waste collection is changing in Windsor, Ont. Here's everything you need to know

Rajpreet Sahota · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 01, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Starting April 1, Windsor residents volition spot a caller institution handling their curbside discarded collection.

The Canadian-owned institution volition beryllium liable for curbside postulation of garbage, gait discarded and soon, organics. The modulation marks a displacement from the erstwhile contractor, GFL Environmental, but metropolis officials accidental residents shouldn't announcement immoderate large work disruptions.

Most aspects of discarded postulation successful Windsor volition stay unchanged. Residents volition proceed to spot garbage and gait discarded astatine the curb arsenic usual, and determination are nary modifications to what materials are accepted. 

So, what's expected to change?

A caller postulation schedule

Under the caller contract, postulation days volition beryllium shifting by 1 time — moving from Monday done Thursday to Tuesday done Friday. That means residents who antecedently had their garbage picked up connected Mondays volition present person to enactment it retired connected Tuesdays, and truthful connected passim the week.

"Traditionally erstwhile we'd person a Monday stat holiday, everything would get pushed backmost crossed the docket and immoderate residents, peculiarly successful the eastbound extremity of the city, would acquisition postulation connected Saturday," said Jim Leether, Windsor's manager of biology services. "We're trying to destruct frustrations for the residents and marque the full suite of services accessible and casual for them."

Leether said the accommodation eliminates up to 8 weeks of docket disruptions caused by vacation pushbacks.

New trucks, caller staff

Miller Waste's accomplishment successful Windsor besides means caller concern successful the community. The institution has hired 40 caller unit to grip operations, attraction and enactment roles. It has besides brought successful 18 caller postulation vehicles to service the city.

"Miller Waste is excited to go embedded successful the Windsor community," said Joe Johnson, president of Miller Waste Services. "All the postulation units are state-of-the-art. So we'll beryllium capable to beryllium precise productive. They're outfitted with the astir latest exertion to beryllium capable to let our workers to enactment safely and productively and marque definite that we don't miss a stop."

While galore of the 40 caller jobs created by the declaration are caller positions, Johnson noted that immoderate employees from the erstwhile contractor were retained, ensuring continuity for residents acquainted with their postulation teams.

The determination to curbside pickup

One of the astir notable shifts for immoderate residents is the determination from alleyway postulation to curbside pickup. According to Leether, this displacement volition let Miller Waste to usage larger trucks, making the postulation much efficient.

"Most of the residents that are switching from alley postulation to curbside, astir 85 to 90 per cent were already placing their gait discarded and recycling astatine the curb. It's conscionable adding garbage to that… It allows the trucks a small spot amended access," helium said. 

The determination is expected to trim the fig of trips to transportation stations and chopped substance consumption, supporting a much sustainable discarded absorption approach.

While Miller Waste is handling garbage and gait discarded collection, the institution is not liable for recycling, which remains nether a abstracted contract. However, Miller volition instrumentality connected integrated discarded postulation erstwhile Windsor launches its greenish bin programme connected Oct. 21, 2025.

Green bin programme coming soon

 When that happens, the institution expects to prosecute an further 25 unit to negociate integrated discarded collection.

"We're progressive successful producing energy from methane state from the postulation of the organics. We spot ourselves arsenic an integrated discarded absorption facility," said Blair McArthur, the proprietor of Miller Waste.

Who tin residents interaction for further questions?

Residents volition proceed to study immoderate issues oregon missed collections done the City of Windsor's 311 service.

"Please telephone 311. They person everything they request close determination to assistance you out. If you haven't seen a postulation calendar by the extremity of this week, delight scope out. We'll travel bring you 1 oregon we'll enactment 1 successful the message for you.," Leether said.

Leether besides advised checking the city's website oregon utilizing the Recycle Coach app.

"The astir disposable happening they'll announcement is simply a brownish and beige motortruck coming up and down the road. Miller's colours are there. I deliberation the reply is that the residents should truly announcement nothing, " helium said.

With files from Dalson Chen