City of Guelph to dig through 5,000 residential waste carts

Five thousand households will be subject towaste bin audits in the City of Guelph, in hopes of improving garbage sorting by residents.

Starting today, city staff will be checking the waste carts of 5,000 randomly-selected households.

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The audits are educational campaign by the city, andcarry no penalty for incorrect sorting.

"Households can expect to receive a letter and information package, as well as a checklist indicating how they can improve their sorting in the future," said the city in a news release.

"Proper waste sorting prevents organics and recyclables from going to landfill, ensures valuable materials are recycled, and helps maintain Guelph's waste diversion rate," said Heather Connell, manager of integrated services at Solid Waste Resources.

Pilot project expands

In 2012, the city scored highest in Ontario in waste diversion. At the time, the city had a 68 per cent diversion rate, compared to the provincial average of 47 per cent.

By 2021, the City of Guelphhopes to have 70 per cent of its waste diverted from landfill.

The waste audits are an expansion of last year's pilot project, where the City of Guelphdid similar waste sorting analysis and outreach on two streets.

According to the city, that led to better waste sorting by about 15 per cent of homes on those two streets.