Cape Breton Regional Councillors will once again be asked to dump heavy garbage pickup at today’s council meeting. The Solid Waste Department says eliminating the annual service to collect items such as old furniture and appliances will save about 1.25 million dollars over five years. In place of heavy garbage collection, Solid Waste Manager Francis Campbell is proposing what he calls Trash to Treasure Curbside Giveaway programs every spring and fall. Campbell adds the giveaway program will encourage people to put their unwanted, used materials by the side of the road for others to take. He says a similar program in the Halifax Regional Municipality has seen an increased level of popularity. In the past, some councillors have said that cancelling heavy garbage pickup might lead to an increase in illegal dumping. Another option being proposed is a year-round Call to Haul service where people could either phone or register online when they have large items to be picked up. That option would save about $350,000 over a five-year period.
