By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative
No more tossing your old, ‘70s, flower-patterned couch to the curb anymore as residents in La Pêche will now have to register for bulky waste pickup before getting rid of their unwanted larger items.
In an effort to divert more items from the landfill, La Pêche has partnered with a new bulky waste company, Consifund, in Gatineau, which will use a list of registered households to map out its bulky waste route instead of touring the entire municipality in search of large items sitting at the end of driveways.
“We’re trying to work with another company in order to really reduce the costs,” said La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux. “It’s to be more efficient, really. That way their route will be planned according to where bulky waste is located. When it comes to bulky waste, we’re trying to minimize what was once sent to landfill as well. Our previous contractors – there was no effort to reuse or recycle.”
The municipality is also reducing its frequency with bulky waste pickup, dropping down to just four pickups throughout the year. Pickups will take place in: January, April, July and October. According to the municipality, residents can register up until the Friday before the collection date. La Pêche’s next collection will come on Jan. 29, and residents can register online via the Voila! app or by calling 819-456-2161, option 1.
An online form will ask users to fill out their information and also add a description of what item(s) they are looking to get rid of. Lamoureux said this information will help the waste management company determine whether an item should be donated somewhere, recycled or if it’s suitable for the landfill.
“This will be done by the collector,” added Lamoureux. “So, they will pick it up and then figure out, ‘Oh, we can donate this,’ or ‘We can throw this away’ – all in an effort to minimize what goes to the landfill.”
Along with the changes to bulky waste pickup, residents may have also noticed that their garbage is sitting in their driveway for an extra day. That’s because, according to Lamoureux, La Pêche has joined forces with Chelsea, Cantley and Val-des-Monts for a regional service, and the schedule has shifted for household pickup.
Lamoureux said figuring out the new schedule is simple: “The days just shifted by one day. Basically, if you were on Monday, you’re now on Tuesday. If you were on Tuesday, now Wednesday, and collection days are between Tuesday and Friday.”
More information on La Pêche’s collection schedule can be found on the municipal website. The province has also launched a new expanded recycling and composting program with guidance on what to compost, what to recycle and information on where it all goes. Visit www.recyc-quebec.gouv.qc.ca for more.
