Item - 2024.IE13.8

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee:

1. Received the report (April 18, 2024) from the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services for information.

The purpose of this report is to provide Toronto City Council with feedback on the feasibility of piloting solar-powered smart-compacting garbage and recycling sidewalk litter bins in one or more Business Improvement Areas to study their effectiveness and possible future deployment throughout the city. This report provides background on previously conducted solar-powered-compacting litter bin pilots and estimated costs for these types of bins as well as information on the current litter bin contract.

A pilot involving solar-powered smart-compacting bins is not being recommended at this time due to concerns around ergonomics, costs, and scalability as well as unknowns related to public space recycling in light of the transition of the Blue Box Program to Extended Producer Responsibility.

Solid Waste Management Services is planning to conduct a bin sensor pilot on existing street litter bins starting in Second Quarter to Third Quarter of 2024. The sensors electronically detect the fullness of the bins and relay when the bins are at or near capacity. In addition to sensors, Solid Waste Management Services will be adding field support staff to inspect the street litter bins, gather data and report overflowing and maintenance issues for a period of six months in order to define trends and recommendations for optimal collection frequency for each litter bin in the city. 

The City will continue to explore enhancements and incorporation of technology in litter bins to help inform the future state once more information is available regarding the impact of Extended Producer Responsibility on public space recycling.