Residents of Pitt Meadows will have to reduce, reuse and recycle even more as the city switches from weekly garbage pickup to collection every second week.
Beginning July 4, recycling, food scraps and yard trimmings will be picked up weekly, while garbage will be collected curb side every other week.
The change to bi-weekly garbage helps to avoid substantial fee increases in the future, said Pitt Meadows director of operations Kim Grout.
“By taking measures now to divert waste from the garbage into the blue box and green cart recycling program, Pitt Meadows will save money in the long run.”
The city has already seen savings since it introduced curbside organic collections last year.
While solid waste rates charged by Metro Vancouver increased in 2013, the city was cushioned from the impact because of the changes to its garbage collection schedule.
The main driver for cost increases are fees charged for disposal.
The current cost to dispose of one tonne of garbage is $107 compared to $50-$61 a tonne of waste from the green cart, where residents dump food scraps and soiled paper.
The cost to dispose of garbage is expected to increase to as much as $151 per tonne by 2017, while green cart waste is expected to remain constant at between $50-$61 per tonne, depending on the market.
Grout says the city’s green waste program has been well-received by residents, with early results indicating weekly participation rates of roughly 70 per cent.
The buy-in means less garbage from Pitt Meadows is being trucked to a landfill, with the city reports its curbside diversion rate increased from 39 per cent in 2010 and 2011 to 59 per cent in 2012.
Food scrap collection from apartments will also begin mid-June.
The switch, though, has some families concerned.
“We are a family of four doing everything we know to do to keep household garbage down and we still have almost a full can every week,” said Wendy Rairdan.
“We are ready to take another step in our efforts and try to learn more, but with garbage pickup twice a month, I see runs to the transfer station in our future. What are larger families going to do?”
The Rairdans, whose son Asa goes to the Maple Ridge environmental school, are a family of committed recyclers. Her kids correct her if she doesn’t put items in the correct bin and often remind her about the impact that garbage can have on soil and water.
Rairdans thinks the city should have a trial period before the changes are implemented.
“Give everyone one year to put good plans in place so that when this does happen, we are successful on all fronts,” she added.
“This is the first we have heard about cutting the service in half. With half the garbage service are taxes going down?”
The city will start an education campaign in the first week of June to introduce residents to the changes.
Pitt Meadows isn’t the first Metro municipality to reduce garbage collection. Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Surrey, White Rock, Langley City, New Westminster and West Vancouver have already made the switch and other cities will have to introduce similar programs by 2015.
That’s the same year Metro Vancouver wants to reach its ambitious target of recycling or composting 70 per cent of the waste stream from all sectors, including businesses, to rein in how much garbage is dumped in landfills or burned.
“I think it’s going to be a positive experience for most,” Coun. Tracy Miyashita said during a committee meeting Tuesday.
“We need to make a change. It’s a step in the right direction.”
Mayor Deb Walters noted that education will be key to a successful switch.
“I was very nervous about this in the business planning process,” said Walters. “I don’t think all our residents are there yet, but we’ll see.”
TIPS 
• Residents with more than one can of garbage can purchase extra garbage tags for $5 each at the Pitt Meadows Shopper’s Drug Mart, IGA Marketplace, city hall and the public works yard.
• As part of the kickoff, the city will offer a coupon to each household for one free garbage tag for curb side pickup.
• If it is a big garbage week, residents also have the option to take garbage to the Maple Ridge Transfer Station & Recycling Depot in the Albion Industrial Park at 10092 236th St. in Maple Ridge.
• The best way to keep track of your garbage collection days is via the My Waste app. For more information and a fact sheet on garbage, visit pittmeadows.bc.ca.