Pontiac door-to-door compost collection delayed

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Allyson Beauregard

MUNICIPALITY OF PONTIAC – Although the municipality planned
to implement door-to-door compost collection by June 2019, the plan has been put on hold as the municipality prepares to extend their current garbage and recycling contract for another year.

Allyson Beauregard

MUNICIPALITY OF PONTIAC – Although the municipality planned
to implement door-to-door compost collection by June 2019, the plan has been put on hold as the municipality prepares to extend their current garbage and recycling contract for another year.
According to Director General Charlotte Laforest, the reason for the deviation is to allow the municipality time to complete research and make an informed decision. “The other municipalities who implemented door-to-door don’t have their annual reports ready yet for us to see the results (garbage reduction, amount of compost
collected, costs, etc.), so we take our time [to wait for the reports] and go to tender
so we have something to base our decision on,” she explained. Regulations, such as how far home composters have to be located away from wells, also have to be ironed out.
During the March 12 council meeting, Mayor Joanne Labadie said a loss of staff has also been a factor. “Since Dominic Labrie left last September, there has been no one to manage this file.”   
In February 2018, a majority of Pontiac councillors voted to implement door-to-door collection because home composting cannot deal with meat, diapers and pet wastes, and few people compost in the winter. In September 2018, Pontiac, in collaboration with Chelsea and Cantley, launched the “We Collect Together” composting program to educate residents about composting in preparation for the planned implementation of door-to-door collection in June 2019.
The issue has been a hotly debated topic in the municipality. While some residents are in favour of door-to-door collection, others say the method doesn’t suit rural areas and expressed concerns regarding the cost, pollution caused by collection trucks, lack of public consultation, and why those who home compost will be forced to pay for collection. A petition about composting and brochures are available at local dépanneurs, the town hall, and online.
Laforest emphasized that nothing has been set in stone. “It was a method council resolved to explore knowing other options and details also have to be looked into before making a final decision,” she said, noting the tendering process will provide the municipality with more precise financial figures. “Depending on the cost, we may have to make different decisions,” she concluded. 
In addition to reduced disposal fees for compost, there are provincial subsidies for reducing garbage. The fee for dumping garbage at Lachute (excluding transportation) is $135 per ton, while that for organic material is $80. However, Lachute is located about 160 kilometres away from the municipality.