Stevenson to bring weekly garbage options to Council

LONDON, ON — Mayoral candidate Susan Stevenson will bring costed weekly household garbage collection options to Council, including year-round and summer alternatives, in response to concerns about waste storage and neighbourhood cleanliness.

The review would examine regular residential curbside garbage collection, currently provided every other week. It would consider households without garages or secure storage, rental properties with shared storage, and households managing pet waste and child or adult diapers.

“Garbage collection should work for the households using it and the neighbourhoods around them,” said Stevenson. “I will bring weekly options to Council and make the costs public.”

City staff reported in 2024 that the shift to biweekly garbage and the bulky-item booking system had contributed to roadside dumping and debris. Parks Operations also reported more household garbage in park containers, particularly near parking lots and arena dumpsters. A September 2025 report said the roadside increase had stabilized, while cleanup continued to require resources.

The City’s voluntary 2024 feedback recorded 42.7% dissatisfied with biweekly garbage collection, 35.5% satisfied, and 17.2% somewhat satisfied. Stevenson said the mixed feedback supports examining how service works for different households rather than assuming one experience is universal.

“The City invested in new trucks with separate compartments for garbage and organics,” Stevenson said. “Council should see what it would take to use that capability for weekly garbage collection. Residents’ concerns about odours, rats, and waste storage should be part of that review.”

The report would compare year-round and summer weekly service, alongside targeted assistance and improvements to current collection. It would identify route and truck capacity, workforce requirements, startup and recurring costs, funding choices, diversion effects, and implementation timing. Public input would precede a Council decision.

Stevenson said. “We can examine better garbage service while keeping food scraps out of the landfill. Council and residents should see the costs and the funding choices before a change is approved.”

The commitment is to bring options forward for Council consideration. Any service change would require approval and a credible funding plan within Stevenson’s tax commitment: increases under 1% in 2027 and 2028, with zero as the goal, and inflation or less in 2029 and 2030.