Waste collection plan will bring changes in Mississauga, but maybe not until 2027

Mississauga will oversee its own curbside pickup and other waste collection services under a new deal in Peel, but city officials want to delay the transfer of authority by nearly two years.

A provincial government plan that seeks to streamline various municipal operations and improve service delivery in Peel will see Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon each take control of their own garbage and recycling collection services as of next Jan. 1.

However, City of Mississauga councillors will discuss a staff report at city council on Wednesday that calls for the implementation date of the new waste collection pact to be pushed back by 21 months to Oct. 1, 2027.

The report, prepared by Sam Rogers, the city’s commissioner of transportation and works, noted a transition committee established to oversee the transfer of services from the Region of Peel to the individual municipalities is recommending the later transition date.

In his report, Rogers said an October 2027 implementation date “aligns with the start of the new waste collection contracts being awarded by the local municipalities and provides for additional time to properly transition all elements of the service.”

The report noted the City of Brampton and Town of Caledon are also considering Oct. 1, 2027 transition dates for waste collection services to be officially transferred from the region to the lower municipalities.

Region of Peel council will consider the suggested revised date when it meets this Thursday.

If transfer of power over waste collection services is delayed until 2027, it will not include any matters related to the region’s community recycling centres, the report stated.

Earlier this year, Mississauga officials said the transition of power related to waste collection services makes sense.

“Bringing waste collection to the city level is a practical step that will allow Mississauga to better meet the unique needs of our community,” Mayor Carolyn Parrish said in March. “We recognize the immense value of this change, and I’m confident it will lead to more efficient and effective waste collection services and significant savings for our residents in the long run.”

Waste collection includes curbside collection of residential waste, recycling and organics as well as collection from multi-residential buildings, Mississauga officials said in an earlier news release.

“The transfer provides the city with an opportunity to gain efficiencies that have a potential for savings, and a collection service that is better coordinated with other municipal services,” they added. “Mississauga currently delivers more than 200 programs and services, making this transfer a step in the right direction to eliminate service duplication.”