Tax on Waste Removal Aims to Reduce

What if you run a business from your home? How does this affect the taxes charged?

I don't think they've quite worked out all of the kinks... they didn't really talk about how this new tax would affect renters, either, who don't normally have to pay property taxes, but could easily be billed for their waste disposal (like "utilities extra"). The tax proposal gets presented to councilors sometime this week, so I'm sure we'll hear more about it very soon!

How would this work in practical terms? I mean, what's to stop you from placing your extra garbage on your neighbour's lawn? And are the garbage collectors going to be outfitted with some sort of wireless GPS device so they can make notes on who the excess garbage offenders are? Finally, will this, instead of making people put out less garbage, instead start putting non-compostable things in their green bins in order to avoid paying the additional tax?

I have to agree with the person above. All of this is already incredibly naive. In the west end, park garbage containers are always full of home garbage (in grocery bags), as are bus stop garbage bins and some areas already have terrible dumping problems. People already dump trash in parks, now they have an incentive to do so!

Great points by Gary and A.R. People abiding by the rules will only be punished by others who skirt them.

Good points above ^^ as there will always be risks of those who will abuse the system. But to the average household, I think this plan could work. If families regularly fill up their bins every week, it may affect their purchasing habits when they're at the grocery store, and they'd be more likely to make sure all their recyclables are recycled. I doubt a significant portion of the population will be hauling their trash to the nearby park every week. This idea is only PART of a solution as well. Stricter enforcement, increasing recyclable materials and packaging guidelines are also a necessary compliment to waste reduction.

All those businesses that don't lock up their dumpsters at night better do it NOW!

I have to say that i am concerned as i live in a house with 4 other people and we already pay through the nose in utilities.

a tax on extra garbage may not seem fair, but niether is me having to pay to truck my neighbors garbage down to Michigan because he is too lazy to: RECYCLE, USE THE GREEN BIN, AND DONATE USED STUFF. If you do these things your garbage for a family of 3 for 2 weeks can easily fit into a single black garbage bag.

I saw on the news last night that the City's actually got staff that go around opening up garbage that's clearly been illegally dumped. If there's any personal information in the bag with your name on it, they'll find you, and fine you! I had no idea.

They also check (and issue fines) for any recyclables that have been tossed erroneously into the garbage.

Also, a letter in the Star brought up the point of unfairly punishing large households. What if it ends up that a household of five is actually producing less garbage per capita than a person living alone, yet because of their sheer numbers, produce more in total? Why should people be punished for simply living together? Sometimes people have more garbage just because there are more of them -- not because they're failing to recycle and compost.

I support Dan's idea especially about reducing packaging in the first place. I hate it when I have to buy something that's clearly overpackaged, and I end up paying for what turns into litter, or has to be recycled and reprocessed right away. Why spend all this energy, legislation, and resources on dealing with the refuse when we can prevent it in the first place?

Gloria I don't think anybody is punishing people for living together. They're simply being asked to finally pay their fair share. If a household of 5 produces less per capita than a household of 1 that's great, but the household of 1 should not have to pay for his garbage plus the 4 people living with you. I'll give you an example. Last year my water was on a flat rate and I was paying $202.18 for a 6 month period. Later in the year I had a water meter installed and now I only pay for my actual usage. My water bill is now down to $100 for a 6 month period. Now that I'm not paying for my water and the water of my neighbors with their "household of 5" that is. Presumably the household of 5 has enough earning potential to pay their own way anyways. I just want to pay for the garbage I produce, and nobdoy elses.