Bag Tags and the Pay As You Throw program are premised on the 'user pay' model. That is, the users of the garbage collection service are the ones who bear the cost of the service. Prior to July 1, 2023 the cost of garbage collection is included in property tax bills, meaning the cost may be the same regardless of how much garbage is produced in your household. The user pay model is very common to shift the cost of garbage collection to the residents that use it.
Bag Tags have been proven to make users rethink waste habits and utilize best practices to minimize the amount of waste being generated. Residents are encouraged to recycle properly, and compost where possible. The result is a reduced environmental impact and reduction of waste being picked up, and a reduction in intake at our municipal landfill site.
A full report on the analysis and recommendation to Council to adopt the bag tag program can be found here.