Portage la Prairie officially launched its new automated garbage collection system on August 1, marking a big change for the city’s waste pickup.
Nearly 4,700 black, 360-litre carts were delivered across the community in the days leading up to the rollout, which replaces manual garbage pickup with trucks using mechanical arms to lift standardized carts.
The goal of the new system is to improve worker safety, reduce litter, and streamline collection operations.
Jocelyn Lequier-Jobin, director of operations for the City of Portage la Prairie, says the first day went smoothly despite the size of the rollout.
“Friday was our first day of the new automated garbage collection and so far things have been going pretty well. Of course, with 5,000 residents and a change, there’s going to be a few little growing pains here and there, but they’ve been fairly minor and we’ve been taking care of them as quickly as possible,” she notes.
Lequier-Jobin reminds residents to place carts correctly for pickup.
“We want to remind everyone that when you put out your new cart, to make sure that the lid can fully close and the wheels should be up to the curb. If the contractor does have an issue with that, something that’s been put in the cart or the way it’s overflowing, they will tag it to let you know why it wasn’t picked up at that time,” she adds.
Residents who have not yet received their carts are encouraged to contact the City to ensure delivery.
“If you haven’t received a cart, please let us know as soon as possible because everybody should have them by now,” Lequier-Jobin says.
Multi-unit dwellings and cart requests
For landlords and property managers, the transition has raised questions about bin numbers for multi-unit buildings.
Rhonda Lodwick, a local property manager, says communication with city operations has helped clarify concerns.
“It’s certainly something that’s been brought up, but speaking with operations, they’re certainly happy to drop an extra one off if a building has two or three tenants and they pay for two or three tenants. If it’s acknowledged as a three-plex, then the operations will bring another bin over to you,” Lodwick explains.
User experience and practical benefits
Some tenants have expressed satisfaction with the new system.
Lodwick says, “A couple of the tenants that we’ve spoken with are happy about it. They’ve had garbage ripped apart by dogs running down the street. It’s kind of nice to have good, big garbage bins that everything’s contained in, the birds can’t pick in them and throw stuff all over the street.”
Lodwick also sees potential in the larger bin size.
“While you could have two bags before, I think most families can fit all their garbage in this giant bin, especially if they have some recycling that they do,” she says.
She hopes the city will eventually introduce recycling bins similar to the new garbage carts.
Here's what residents are saying
Residents are already seeing the benefits of the new system.
Candace Packham says she appreciates the cleaner streets, adding, “I just think it saves a whole lot of trash blowing around in the wind and hopefully it's more economical.”
Ken Miller agrees, especially when it comes to future recycling upgrades. “To have something with that capacity for recyclables would be great,” he notes.
What stays the same and looking ahead
Garbage pickup frequency remains unchanged, occurring weekly on existing schedules, while recycling continues bi-weekly. Yard and garden waste pickup also continues in spring and fall.
The city has also introduced a new bulky waste collection program, allowing residents to place larger items at the curb during four designated weeks each year without a fee or tag, with specific weight limits.
Lequier-Jobin acknowledges upcoming adjustments. “Currently we do snow clearing the day after garbage day. We are looking at revising that policy to make it more compatible with our new system,” she remarks.
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