'A massive backlog': Recycling and garbage pickup weeks behind in the Capital Region
View Royal resident Antonio Pacheco has gone five weeks without his curbside recycling being picked-up.
“Well, we’ve had two misses,” said Pacheco.
It’s now piling up in his garage.
“I feel unclear whether we should take our recycling in or continue to leave it out,” said his neighbour.
Russ Smith is the senior manager of environmental resource management, parks and environmental services with the Capital Regional District. He says the answer to that question is to bring it in.
“You’ll have to hold it two weeks until you can bring it out again,” said Smith.
Smith calls the situation a perfect storm.
Our recent snowfall delayed blue box pick-ups. Staffing issues due to covid added more pressures. There was an increase in recycling due to Christmas and now, there has been a mechanical failure at Cascades Recovery on Bridge Street in Victoria.
That is where all the sorting of recycled materials takes place before they’re shipped to the mainland for processing.
“So, that happened yesterday at about 10 a.m. and brought the handling of those materials that are being collected to a halt,” said Smith.
Cascades has the parts on hand to fix the baler machine. It’s expected to be back up and running by Monday.
Blue box pick-ups are still happening, but there is still a major backlog. That means your day could get missed.
Until the machine is fixed, Cascades will not be taking loads from commercial or multi-family housing buildings. The collection of those materials is done by private contractors and not the CRD.
In View Royal, garbage pickups have also been delayed.
“Some residents have gone two, three or possibly even more (weeks) without their garbage being picked up,” said David Screech, View Royal’s mayor.
That municipality contracts its pickups out to Waste Management.
“We have a propane truck that can pick up both the green waste and the regular garbage in the Town of View Royal,” said Screech. “In the middle of December, that broke down.”
Supply chain issues have meant the company can’t get parts for the fix and has had to resort to using smaller, single-use trucks instead. That has put it behind schedule.
Couple that with bad weather and, of course, staffing shortages due to COVID-19.
“That, in general, has just created a massive backlog throughout the town,” said Screech.
But early Thursday morning, garbage reprieve rolled into Pacheco’s View Royal neighbourhood in the form of an overdue garbage truck.
“The cavalry arrived,” said Pacheco. “You know, now we’re saved.”
Both the CRD and the mayor of View Royal are hoping all collections will be caught up by the end of the month.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Five areas Canada's foreign interference commissioner says needs more investigation
Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue released her interim report examining foreign election interference on Friday. Here are five elements of the issue that Hogue says she needs to further probe before she can make conclusions or recommendations.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Why your airfare may be getting more expensive
Skyrocketing airfare prices are linked to heightened competition and rising food and fuel, according to the CAA.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
New weight-loss drug Wegovy not a 'magic bullet,' doctor warns
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Funeral today for broadcasting legend and voice of 'Hockey Night in Canada' Bob Cole
A funeral is being held today for hockey broadcasting legend Bob Cole in his hometown of St. John's, N.L.
Foreign meddling 'did not affect' overall federal election results: inquiry report
Foreign interference by China did not affect the overall results of the 2019 and 2021 general elections won by Justin Trudeau's Liberals, a federal commission of inquiry has found.