Civics Scrapbook

I think that this idea for Calgarians to pay for every extra garbage bag is an amazing idea. The $2.30 tag that they will have to pay for each bag that doesn't fit in the big black carts will be a good way for people to realize that they need to start cutting down on their garbage.

This idea will strengthen our surroundings and make them cleaner. If every house on a street of 10 houses is throwing away 4 bags per week that is already 40 garbage bags which is roughly 160 bags per month!

160 bags of garbage per month is already enough to throw away from such a small area.

When i read this article i thought that this "tag-a-bag" initiative should be a part of the whole nation of Canada. I was also very pleased to say that the city is hoping to get rid of 80% of residential garbage by 2010. I hope they continue to live up to this goal.

Reading this article had made me realize the amount of garbage we displace everyday. It also emphasizes that a large amount of the products we use are non-environmentally friendly since they can not be reused or recycled and that there is a need to reduce our garbage which is contributing to the pollution of our planet. As a result, I am extremely grateful that the government is taking action towards reducing the amount of garbage Canadians release.

I am a strong supporter of this new regulation as I think it is important for us to reduce our garbage load. I believe that this new rule will provide a motivation for people to decrease their garbage load. By charging additional fees on excess garbage bags, I think that it will help reduce the amount of garbage citizens dispense because it will help people realize the amount of garbage they have and take action to reduce it in order to avoid paying the fee. This shows that this new rule will create fear for those who do not want to pay extra; therefore, motivate them to take action to reduce their garbage. Furthermore, it encourages people to purchase eco-friendly products. Since citizens know that they will be charged for extra garbage bags, they might consider buying reusable items that can be reused or recycled instead of being thrown away after one use. This will moderate their waste load and prevent them from paying the fee. By charging fees for surplus garbage bags, I think it will provide people with an incentive to try to reduce their garbage and buy environmentally-friendly products.

Similarly to Deanna, I believe that this initiative should be used in all of Canada as it is a very important step in helping to reduce our pollution. However, I do hope that the government will continue to impose new stricter regulations that will help preserve our environment for future generations.
-Nancy Khuu

Pertaining to the article and Deanna and Nancy’s comment, I am of totally agreement towards this new policy and the opinions of my fellow classmates. I feel that the Calgary officials have the right to charge people a total of $2.30 per bag that does not fit in the bin because many times, people take advantage of garbage pickup not just in Calgary but in many places in Canada. For example, with personal experience I noticed since people did not have room to fit all their garbage in their garbage bin, they put some of it in the recycling bin. Not only does that violate the rules but it also contributes to pollution, global warming and the other affects from not reducing, re-using and recycling!

This issue can be dubbed farther than just a silly law about charging $2.30 for bags that don’t fit in their garbage bins, rather that without these types of implementations being set, it could lead to bigger problems in the near future.

Repeating what Deanna and Nancy said, this policy that Calgary executed should be around all of Canada, this could reduce the problems of illegal dumping, the ways of recycling and the amount of garbage we actually throw out. It would make us Canadians more conscious with the amount of stuff we use, consume and dispose of.

With this new policy, it will strengthen Calgary communities and it would help them realize that they can’t take garbage workers for granted. In Toronto, in order for sanitation workers to pick up large items, a call has to be made in order to make a special pick up to give sanitation workers a heads up on the pick up. Many people are too lazy and throw their toilets, couches, bicycles and other large items of garbage by the curb with the rest of their garbage thinking it would be picked up. Sadly they are mistaken and because of this, they get angered and wonder why they didn’t pick it up. Where I’m going with this is, if we try to implement a similar policy to Torontonians then it could reduce problems within the sanitation community, the City of Toronto and could potentially reduce recycle and garbage levels.

I am so surprised by the initiative that Calgary is taking to reduce the amount of residential garbage from landfill. I think that it is a great idea where Calgarians will be more conscious of how much garbage they throw out because of the “tag-a-bag” idea. I believe a tag of $2.30 for each garbage bag that does not fit into the black cart will cause for a win-win situation for Calgary. The residents of Calgary will now give more thought about how much garbage they throw out, which means less garbage in landfills. If they do not stay within the limit of the black cart, then they would have to pay money for the extra garbage, so the city will fund money that way too, which could be used to make Calgary a more environmental place to live. So, no matter what this plan seems flawless and I have much respect for Calgary for taking this initiative.