Over the years, garbage collection has been innovating with things like robot arms and cleaner running trucks.
But in Beaconsfield, the latest technological advance is the garbage camera, to see what people are throwing out. The cameras are part of the city’s overall plan to reduce how much they send to landfills, but some say the garbage solution is a waste of time and money.
“Who cares what's in the garbage? It’s garbage,” said one resident.
But city hall cares -- the driver will monitor the cameras to make sure no one is throwing out anything they shouldn't be, starting Jan. 1.
“Our focus is to reduce what's going to landfill and to take whatever measures that can help and encourage our residents,” said Beaconsfield Mayor Georges Bourelle.
In the first six months of this year, by adding extra collections of branches and other green waste, Beaconsfield sent 899 fewer tonnes of garbage to the landfill – measures that have saved roughly $100,000.
The hope is the cameras can help save even more, but many residents aren't so convinced.
“I think it's like visions of 1984, you know [George] Orwell’s [1949 novel] 1984,” said one resident.
The mayor says he's not intrested in going through anyone's garbage and that the measure is meant to be educational. He said anyone who throws out something they shouldn’t will get a letter and not a fine.
“I understand the reducing of stuff, it's just like everybody is saying, the Big Brother thing, I just don’t want to be watched,” said another resident.
Another part of Beaconsfield’s garbage reform will come into effect in the new year, when trucks will go down to one man crews instead of two, which will also save money.
And also starting in January, households in Beaconsfield will be subject to a “pay-as-you-throw” program which will see one free trash pick-up per month but anything more will cost extra.
