The borough of Cote-des-Neiges/NDG has updated its recycling schedule in response to an outcry by residents about tardy waste collection.
Citing "temporary difficulties," the revised schedule will be in effect from July 11 to August 1st.
At the heart of the issue is the failure of one of the two companies contracted to pick up the recycling to do what they’ve been hired to do, said borough Mayor Sue Montgomery.
The mayor accused Ricova, the contracted company, of submitting a bid they couldn’t live up to in an effort to get the city contract.
A new company has been selected but before they can begin work, the borough council must vote to approve the contract. With the next council meeting scheduled for Aug. 20, Montgomery said she hopes to take advantage of a rule allowing the borough to reward a contract for under $100,000 while waiting.
In the meantime - according to an email sent to residents by the City of Montreal - recycling collection on Monday and Tuesday recycling collections will resume on Wednesday if not completed on the scheduled day.
Thursday and Friday recycling collections will resume on Saturday if they're not completed on the scheduled day.
If recycling isn't picked up on its scheduled day, the borough suggests bringing it back in, and returning it to the curb on the day indicated in the revised schedule.
But that doesn't solve all problems.
Several residents in NDG have also complained about compost collection - claiming that food waste hasn't been collected in over three weeks.
As a result, several restaurants and businesses in the area are complaining about the presence of flies.
So far, the borough hasn't yet addressed this additional collection calamity, but earlier this week Montgomery acknowledged the strain it's putting on area residents.
“It’s been very frustrating. They haven’t been doing their job, basically. We’ve fined them several times, we’ve talked to those in charge,” she said. “Unfortunately, the recycling has been piling up and this week, it’s come to a head.”
