South Bruce Peninsula Council has discovered a disturbing trend at its landfill — and it may change the way residents put out their garbage.
South Bruce Peninsula Council voted last night to have staff continue to look at a bag tag garbage system.
Mayor Gwen Gilbert says they need to do something that reduces waste to the landfill site and also promotes recycling.
Municipal stats show the landfill in the former Amabel Township has a life expectancy between 9 and 17 years.
Gilbert says that stat is frightening and they have to do something about it.
Council has not decided how much bag tags would cost but a recommendation from the Waste Committee suggests each tag cost a dollar 50.
Gilbert supports the idea — she notes a full time bag system could reduce property taxes by just over 5 per cent.
Gilbert says it should also encourage people to recycle more.
The same municipal stats show 3 out of every 10 garbage bags should be going into the recycling program and not the landfill.
Gilbert says they could try to increase the size of the landfill.
But she notes an environmental assessment would cost half a million dollars and take about 10 years to complete.
