Green bin envy

I promise this will be my last whining post regarding Ottawa's green bin program until I get my green bin.

Today is garbage day in my neighbourhood. The amount of garbage on my street is quite astounding. There is a lot of cardboard, which isn't surprising since this is the first paper recycling day since Christmas. However, there seems to be more garbage bags than normal at the opposite end of the street. It almost looks like a very mini Carp mountain.

I don't like garbage day. In fact, I hate it. Sure, we generate garbage, but I am constantly amazed the amount of garbage people will haul out to the curb, namely furniture. Living in Ottawa and got an old couch? Just haul it out to the curb. Don't even think about taking it to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. The garbage man will take it instead. I couldn't get away with hauling out an old couch to the curb in the community I grew up. It is unheard of. Instead, you got to buy special garbage bags (about $3 each). No black garbage bags are accepted.

Last week, someone dumped phone books onto a pile of garbage bags. They weren't picked up because it was cans, instead of paper. So there they sat in the snow bank. I doubt the recycle guys will even be able to see them this week because of the snow we have gotten in recent days. I think the next time we'll see them is sometime in the spring.

This week's garbage day is a bitter pill to swallow. Officially, this is the week the city rolls out its green bin program. Compost is being accepted. I saw a number of green bins at the curb. When I turned onto my street, it was black garbage bags and cardboard. Not a green bin in sight. Our street is in the phase two portion of the green bin program. We may get our green bins sometime this summer.

But I want my green bin now. I've been waiting patiently for a green bin since the city announced it was going to be taking the program city-wide. Until I'm able to feed my own green bin, I guess I'll just have to continue stewing with my green bin envy.