Garbage collection every two weeks | Laval wants to improve its balance sheet and reduce its waste
As of 1is April, garbage collection will be done every two weeks in Laval, a decision which should allow the municipality to reduce its expenses and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
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Savings of more than 3.5 million
Laval announced Thursday that the collection of waste (black bin) will take place every two weeks alternating with that of recyclable materials (blue bin). The contents of the brown bin (compost) will always be collected every week from the 1stis April to November 30, and every two weeks during the winter. According to the City, this change will result in annual savings of $3.5 million for garbage collection alone. It should also reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but municipal officials were unable to give precise figures on this subject.
Laval lagging behind other cities
The City of Laval thus joins other municipalities in the Metropolitan Community of Montreal (CMM) which have already established garbage and recycling collection every two weeks. This is particularly the case for Longueuil, Terrebonne, Blainville and Mascouche. In Montreal, the failures of a similar operation in the borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve allowed Laval to adjust its strategy, underlines Ray Khalil, vice-president of the executive committee. “It’s a bit of an advantage to be a bit behind the others. We learned from others, we heard a lot about Hochelaga which made the headlines. » According to the elected official, his municipality waited until “everything was well established” with its three bins, garbage, recyclable materials and compost. “In my eyes, it’s a critical aspect, it’s the basis,” he adds.
A report to be improved…
Laval had set itself the objective of reducing the quantity of waste sent to landfill. Its target was 200 kg per inhabitant per year for 2025, while the balance was 230 kg per inhabitant in 2024. According to Philippe Vaillancourt, division head for residual materials, the objective was not reached in 2025, “but with the changes coming in April, we should reach our target in 2026”. In comparison, Montreal sent 215 kg of waste to landfill per inhabitant in 2024, and municipalities like Boucherville and Vaudreuil, or the borough of Verdun, produced less than 200 kg of waste per inhabitant.
…and a stagnant balance sheet
Between 2021 and 2024, the quantity of organic materials, recyclable materials and household waste per capita remained stable in Laval. This new stage should make it possible to improve the city’s overall results, believes Philippe Vaillancourt. According to Ray Khalil, communication with citizens remains the key to achieving such change. “People are often told that trash cans don’t disappear. They go into a landfill and if we fill the hole too quickly, collectively, we will have a problem,” he emphasizes.
A provincial issue
Waste management remains an important issue at the CMM level, which has set itself the objective of reducing the total quantity of residual materials sent to landfill sites by 10% by 2030. The plan also provides for the deployment of the collection of organic materials (brown bin) throughout the territory by the end of the decade. It should be noted that several landfill sites will reach their maximum capacity in the coming years, both provincially and in Greater Montreal. Remember that the CMM brings together 82 municipalities, including Laval and Montreal, which represent approximately half of Quebec’s population. Currently, 62 municipalities in the CMM collect their garbage every two weeks.
