From the District Municipality of Muskoka
Starting in March 2025, Muskoka residents will be moving to a Clear Bag Program for curbside collection.
The Clear Bag Program requires residents to place garbage in a clear plastic bag instead of a black or green plastic bag. This simple change is an effective way to remind residents to keep organics and recyclables out of our one and only landfill, Rosewarne. By using clear bags for garbage, residents can easily identify whether waste has been separated and make a personal contribution to a more sustainable Muskoka.
“This is an important step forward in our efforts to protect Muskoka’s environment. If we don’t divert more waste, our landfill will soon be full, resulting in massive costs to taxpayers. By adopting the Clear Bag Program, residents can take one last look to ensure they are making a positive impact through better waste sorting. This is a step to help our community stay sustainable for future generations,” said Jeff Lehman, Muskoka District Chair.
Current estimates indicate that the Rosewarne Landfill, located in Bracebridge, has less than 15 years left and it is important to act now.
Extending the life of the landfill will promote environmental sustainability while deferring the substantial costs associated with finding alternate disposal option. The contents of every garbage bag today cumulatively and into the future impact everyone in Muskoka. The District is joining over 2 million Canadian households that have already transitioned to a clear bag collection service. Other municipalities that have adopted a clear garbage bag program have seen impressive results of up to 11 per cent increase in waste diversion.
“In Muskoka, over 50 per cent of what goes in the garbage at the curb belongs in the green bin, recycling, or hazardous waste stream. The clear garbage bag program encourages residents to sort compostable and recycling materials appropriately. We all have a part to play to make sure waste makes it to the right place,” said Renee Recoskie, Director, Waste Management and Environmental Services.
The District is dedicated to making this transition as smooth as possible for residents by collaborating with local retailers to ensure clear bags are available in various sizes. Privacy and safety were highly considered when developing the program. As a result, residents can place up to two (2) small ‘privacy bags’ inside each larger clear bag for personal items.
What’s Changing?
Only the colour of your garbage bag. Rest assured, nothing else about your waste collection will change. If recyclables or organics are found in your clear garbage bag, you will receive a reminder to separate them out.
More information on managing repeat contamination in the waste stream will be provided leading up to program implementation in 2025.
Need help sorting your waste?
Use the District’s online Waste Wizard to determine whether common items belong in the garbage, recycling, or green bin. This tool makes it easy to ensure you’re disposing of waste correctly.
Be an early supporter of the Clear Bag Program and make the Muskoka Clear Commitment today! Visit our project page at www.engagemuskoka.ca/clear-bags to take a brief survey to find out how you can make a Clear Commitment and join the movement towards a greener community.
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The Real Person!
The Real Person!
From what I have heard huntsville doesn’t recycle that much. Everything goes in the dump. I am not crazy about clear bags. Does the garbage man check the garbage for recycle? Does he leave it if it doesn’t meet requirements? I have a couple of hundred green garbage bags. What do I do with them? Where do I spend money on clear bags now your making ky garbage bags obsolete? I think the majority of people DO recycle and don’t put recycle in garbage. Just my thoughts.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
OK, the last information was the change would occur in August 2025 WHY the move earlier ??
This is unfair to folks trying to switch over to the clear bag. !!
OK, a move to clear bags, but what about improving the Recycle program to include places where nothing is collected.? I.E. The Fall Fair.
Or compost from Church events.?
These and other are missed opportunities.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
I know from the direct experience of looking after my tourist business garbage, recycling, ash and compost needs for over 50 years that a lot of people do not take recycling seriously.
The District has made efforts and clear bags cannot hurt but Kathryn Henderson makes all good valid points to be considered.
A combination of Bears and District reductions to arbitrary and too small to be very practical limits on amounts has led me to do some experiments on our system this late summer and fall. From this I think it is fair to say that although we have a comprehensive recycling program at my resort we could do about twice as well as we do. This is simply because our guests (or some of them at least) just don’t take recycling seriously or pay attention to the issue. If done at the source this job is easy. If not then sorting “garbage” into it’s inevitably “recyclable” parts is not a really nice job. It can pay off however in vastly reduced amounts going to landfill. If well sorted some streams actually generate income for me now.
In some ways I applaud the District efforts but in others their rules are quite simply neither fair nor efficient.
Things could be done better. At least the District is trying. I think we need more cooperative communication between small business, the general public and district to achieve this. We all could make each other’s lives easier this way.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
I have a box of 100 green bags that have not been opened. Is the district going to replace these with clear bags for me.
Marion Nichols says
I care deeply about the environment and have composted and recycled long before it was recommended.
BUT not all plastics can be recycled, and some that would normally be recycled can’t, because of food contamination. Few people realize that each plastic container must be rinsed out. If any food residue is present, it can ruin the entire recycling batch. So, who is going to “Police” this? Will my regular garbage be rejected because a plastic container has dried ketchup on it, which I can’t readily remove?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
It’s up to the house holder to make more room in the landfill site for future usage?
The fast food outlets have their garbage collected by private contractors?
Do the private contractors dump in the landfill site perhaps for a fee?
Is this perhaps the real reason the householder is being penalized?
I’m all for recycling and saving our landfill sites as long as everyone contributes!