Owen Sound residents are doing a lot more recycling, and it shows in the “waste diversion rate”.
Figures released this week show the Scenic City went from 20th in the province to number two in 2012.
Owen Sound had a waste diversion rate of 63 per cent, which was second only to Guelph at almost 68 per cent.
The residential waste diversion rate is the percentage of Blue Box and other residential garbage reported to Waste Division Ontario (WDO) that is kept out of landfill.
Public works Manager Chris Hughes credits the move to bi-weekly garbage pickup in Owen Sound, and the fact that bag tags are now $2.50 each.
He says those moves have encouraged more people to recycle rather than just throw things to the curb in their garbage.
Hughes adds Guelph had a better rate because it has a curb-side source separator organics program, which Owen Sound does not have.
The data is collected from 230 municipalities or municipal groups, recycling associations and First Nations, representing over 400 municipalities in the province.
Some of the other area communities in the top 20 for 2012 were:
Meaford in 4th spot at just under 60 per cent diversion rate, Simcoe County at 57.65 per cent, Grey Highlands at almost 66 per cent, Perth County and West Grey at 55.5 per cent, and Orillia was 20th at 52 per cent.
WDO says over the past five year period, the total residential diversion rate has grown by nearly eight per cent.
Out of the 4.8 million tonnes of residential waste generated in Ontario in 2012, 2.3 million tonnes were diverted from landfill.
