Garbage day and recycling day have been split for two months now. How's that working for you?

Late last year, city council decided to change the garbage and recycling collection schedule to two separate days a week for each.

Leading up to the Nov. 4 changeover, at least one city councillor reported receiving many complaints, including people threatening to stop recycling altogether as a way to protest the extra task.

The idea behind the change, said the city, was to make it easier for people in the winter, so that two spots didn’t need to be cleared for both bins. 

We decided to ask a few local residents what they think about the new schedule so far. 

“I prefer it (the two separate days); it makes it easier for me to get out of the driveway. I think it’s more convenient and I appreciate that. I think I would rather have two days than one day,” said Jim Corelli, 60. 

Most people we talked to had positive feedback regarding the change. 

“I think it’s a good idea for the winter. We don’t have a ton of room at the end of our driveway, so when there’s only one bin it’s a lot easier to maneuver them,” said Casey Davieaux, 50. “For me, (I would prefer) the two days in the winter, but hopefully in the summer it will go back to one day a week.”

“I think the two days is better, it keeps the clutter off the street,” said another resident. 

Some people were indifferent to the idea. 

“I don’t really see it makes much of a difference, just one extra thing that we have to do,” said Amy McMillan, 41. “I think we would prefer the convenience of the one day, but at the end of the day, it’s not the worst thing in the world.”

We also decided to follow up on how residents are liking the new green garbage bins that were added earlier this year.

Here are a few of the things we heard:

“They’re great. They hold a lot of stuff, they’re easy to push to the curb.”

“Love them. Love is a strong word and I absolutely love them. I can put more garbage in these bins, it’s so much easier to get them to the street. Also, everyone has the same one, it looked horrible in certain places in Sault Ste. Marie- people would just throw their bags outside, they’re rolling down the street, the birds would get at it- this way is way better than the old way.

“I think it’s easier overall because you don’t have to worry about the bags as much, and the birds don’t get into it.”

“Oh I love them, you can put more in them and it beats people leaving their extra garbage bags out. I really like the new green garbage bins.”