Waste collector under fire in northern York Region wins award

Yorkregion.com
April 4, 2014
By Tim Kelly

Green for Life Environmental was a big winner at the Vaughan Chamber of Commerce Business Achievement Awards dinner last night.

The waste management firm, which has a contract to remove garbage and recycling from the northern six municipalities in York Region, earned the business of the year environmental award, besting two other companies in front of a crowd of about 600 diners at the Paramount Conference and Event Centre.

The award might come as a bit of a surprise to some residents in Aurora, Newmarket, Whitchurch-Stouffville, Georgina, East-Gwillimbury and King Township, who complained bitterly last fall and winter about GFL's service.

Aurora council, for example, was inundated with complaints from residents over the company's failure to pick up their trash.

Some councillors were concerned about more than the delays.

For example, employees from GFL weren’t picking up items that fell out of recycling boxes, Aurora Councillor Paul Pirri said.

“That is completely unacceptable. Not doing that shows a big problem,” he said.

Aurora and the other northern six municipalities are going to examine their contract with GFL, Mayor Geoff Dawe said.

The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville’s customer service department received 525 calls Jan. 6, with about 55 per cent of them related to the lack of recycling and green bin collection.

Additional staff members were called in to help handle the call volume.

Newmarket representatives said the town was working with GFL to improve overall service levels and reviewing the original terms of the contract to ensure they are being met.

There d been questions about GFL’s service prior to the delays.

King Township representatives have frequently voiced displeasure with the level of service from GFL.

Last November, Ward 4 Councillor Bill Cober said waste management in the township was a crisis.

The township strives for excellent customer service and that simply has not been happening with GFL, Mayor Steve Pellegrini said.

Georgina is reviewing the contract with GFL to improve service, according to the town's website.

GFL’s contract with the northern six expires in 2017, but it will be evaluated later this year and the tender process will likely begin in late 2015.