A Steinbach city councillor is speaking out against any consideration of automated residential garbage pick-up. The matter came up as city council met in committee Tuesday and received reports from department heads. The Solid Waste Department noted a report is being compiled on the cost of automated residential pick-up where residents would be issued a special garbage bin that can be hoisted and dumped mechanically into a garbage truck. Councillor Michael Zwaagsta says he has no interest in changing the current system.

"My main concern centres on the fact we have an excellent garbage pick-up system right now. It is a system that is very flexible in regards to people being able to choose the bins that they put our or just simply use bags. It's a system that recognizes the fact that different families, largely based on size, produce different amounts of garbage so we're not stuck in a system where we have to worry about having enough space in a particular bin in which to put the garbage. We also recognize the fact that at different times of year there's more garbage that is produced than other times of the year so, again, there is flexibility."

Zwaagstra adds, when limits are placed on the amount of garbage each household can bring to the curb, it can lead to problems like illegal dumping. He notes Steinbach residents are very committed to recycling and that is already reducing the amount of waste going to the landfill site. Zwaagstra doesn't mind looking at new ideas but doesn't see the need to fix something that is not broken.

"I would prefer we stay with the system that we have now. I think that the system is quite effective. It's always good to look at ideas and things but, at the end of the day, based on what I've seen in other areas in terms of how things change. I really don't see how a change from the system we have now would be a step that would improve service to people in Steinbach."