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Home My WebLink AboutCSD-07-019 - Park Garbage Containers ) R Community Services Report To: Date of Meeting: Submitted By: Prepared By: Community Services Committee February 19, 2007 Ken Currier, Director of Operations Ward(s) Involved: Date of Report: Report No.: Subject: Greg Hummel, Manager, Park Planning, Development and Operations (ext. 2598) All February 6, 2007 CSD-07-019 PARK GARBAGE CONTAINERS RECOMMENDATION: For information only. BACKGROUND: The Community Services Committee on October 23, 2006, requested information on park garbage cans. This request was initiated by the number of citizen inquiries regarding the removal of garbage cans in the late fall season. Based on citizen inquiries and the fact that there are considerable pressures to increase the cleanliness and reduce the litter that is apparent within the City of Kitchener, the following information should clarify the City's operations and inventory of garbage cans. REPORT: The Community Services, Operations Division has approximately 500 garbage cans placed around the City in parks and open spaces, trail heads, active sports fields and other City facilities. Tvpes Garbage can styles very across the City depending on the locations and uses/activities within each location. The typical park garbage can is a recycled 40 gallon drum. These cans are very economical and are painted to match existing cans in our inventory. These 40 gallon cans comprise approximately 750/0 (375) of our inventory of garbage cans. These cans can be acquired for approximately $20.00 each. Another style of can that is used is the decorative plastic unit. These cans are used in high profile areas and requested to match specific themes in designated areas (e.g. sidewalk garbage cans along King Street). These types of cans are used in approximately 150/0 (75) of our inventory. The plastic decorative garbage cans cost between $500.00-750.00 depending on style and colours. Report No: CSD-07-019 2 The other type of garbage can that is used in our inventory is the Molok. The Molok comprises the remaining 1 00/0 (50) of our inventory. These units are installed in locations where we have heavy regular use. The Molok unit has a sleeve that is installed into the ground at varying depths depending on the size of the unit. Within the sleeve is a liner that can hold a greater quantity of garbage. When the liner is full, it is removed from the unit by machinery (or by hand) and dumped into a vehicle and re-installed into the sleeve. These units fit visually and aesthetically well within the parks environment. A typical parks style which will hold 1.0 cubic yard of material, costs $2,000.00 installed. Operations Parks and Road Sanitation are supported by 3 full-time employees and 2 temporary labourers from April 1 - December 1. These staff is responsible to deal with the collection of garbage within our neighbourhood parks and trail locations, road side debris dumping as well as assist in other needed sanitation areas. The bulk of our sanitation collection during this time period is through a third party collection service. Cans are emptied once a week with the exception of Victoria Park which has collection service three times a week. Outside of the weekly collection service, sanitation staff is responding to those areas where accumulation exceeds the weekly collections. The Parks Sanitations crew also looks after the removal of bags from the Molok cans. From December 1 - April 1, the staffing complement reduces to 2 full-time employees that are responsible for the maintenance of park sanitation as well as the monitoring of roadside debris pick-ups. During the winter months, the 40 gallon cans are lined with garbage bags to minimize the freezing of debris to the sides of the cans. With the cans being lined, staff can more efficiently remove debris. This coupled with the accessible location of the cans allow staff to remove the bags and load into trucks for disposal. Outside of Parks Sanitation operations, crews at the active parks (i.e. Budd Park, Peter Hallman Ball Yard etc.) are responsible for emptying garbage cans within their facilities. In November of each year, Parks Sanitation crews begin to bring in the many of 40 gallon cans from various locations around the City. The cans that are brought to the yards for the winter are from areas where the use declines drastically, is relatively non existent and from areas that are not accessible in the winter months. When the cans are brought in they are cleaned and repainted in preparation for the next season. Of the 375 40 gallon cans within our inventory, approximately 120 cans are left out for winter seasonal use. Some cans are relocated in the winter months from near ball and soccer fields to accommodate the use at winter rink locations. In the event that we get a request for a can in some locations, we will re-install one of the clean cans back in the location from which one was taken assuming we can still access the location. Many of the plastic units are left out for the winter (as many as 50) as well as the Molok units which are permanent in their locations (50). Of the 500 garbage receptacles in the inventory, approximately 220 are in use through the winter months. Options Covers: Presently, the Operations Department does have 40 gallon cans with covers. The covers used are units with a 'swing top' and are placed on cans situated near areas where food service is available (i.e. Victoria Park Boathouse). The lids do help to reduce the impacts from bees and birds but do not completely eliminate those impacts. The lids come at a cost of about a $1 00.00 and add additional time to the emptying of the garbage cans. Report No: CSD-07-019 3 The plastic decorative garbage cans and the Molok units that are also used come complete with lids. The lid types are both spring loaded and have covers with large openings to deposit garbage. Posts/Permanent Locations: Many of the 40 gallon garbage cans are fastened to the ground by either attaching to a metal bollard post or by chaining to the ground. These applications work well in active sports facilities and high volume park areas where the areas are designated and attract high volumes of garbage. Also, fastening the cans to the ground limits opportunities for the garbage cans to be vandalized (i.e., knocking the cans over and spilling the collected garbage). Fastening the cans to the ground in less visible areas helps to minimize these vandalism opportunities. The fastening of the cans also becomes a hindrance in other parks locations where it becomes an encumbrance to collecting and emptying garbage. Cans that are not fastened in one location can be relocated within the park to address the areas that need the cans on any given day. Others: In speaking with other municipalities, parks and open space sanitation is handled in a similar fashion as conducted in the City of Kitchener. Most are using the 40 gallon drum style cans with and without covers as well as the decorative plastic units. Many places (Municipalities, Provincial Parks and retail stores) are moving to the installation of Molok type receptacles. The advantage of the Molok is that it holds a large volume of garbage, reduces the smell of the garbage, contains a spring loaded lid, has a permanent location and fits well within the parks environment. The disadvantage is that the units must be accessible. The other factor in using Moloks city wide is the capital expenditure. The City of Kitchener Operations Division is installing a number of new Molok units each year in those areas of heavy/regular use. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: This report has no financial implications at this time. Ken Currier Director of Operations AP