By mid-April, garbage cans will be a thing of the past, replaced by the city’s new plastic garbage and composting carts.
Collection will move out of alleys. Instead, residents will wheel their carts - provided free by the city - out front.
Hydraulic lifters will eliminate the need for city staffers to hoist cans - or risk injury from toxic substances and sharp objects.
In a pilot project in Porter Creek, garbage and compostable bag usage was reduced, saving residents an estimated $175 per year.
“Where will all the old garbage cans go?” asked one councillor.
Old garbage cans often get second lives as storage containers for bird seed and sports equipment, said Pippa McNeil, the city’s environmental co-ordinator.
The city will also educate people how to transform old garbage cans into rain barrels, she said.