The City of Duncan is looking to Canadian sources to provide the municipality with new collection carts for garbage, recycling and organics for when the new fully automated-garbage collection begins this spring.
Brian Murphy, Duncan’s director of public works and engineering, told council at its meeting on Feb. 24 that staff has been trying to balance the costs and quality of the carts in preparation for the roll out of the new collection system, and now staff is also looking at where they are manufactured due to concerns over the possibility of American tariffs.
“Given the increasing likelihood of import tariff and counter tariff measures between the U.S. and Canada, and the availability of only one Canadian manufacturer (Superior IPL), the previous recommendations for the supply of the three different automated collection carts have been updated,” Murphy said.
Coun. Tom Duncan also pointed that not only is Canada facing the possibility of American tariffs, the Canadian dollar is at its lowest rate in decades.
“That could be another 40 per cent [to the costs of the carts if bought from an American manufacturer] right there,” he said.
As for the garbage carts, Murphy said the Regional District of Nanaimo has a significant number of gently used automated collection carts that are 100 litres in size from a reputable manufacturer.
He said, if council approves, the city will negotiate with the regional district to purchase 1,450 of the carts for less than $30 each, which would be substantially less than for new carts.
“There’s no risk of tariffs because the carts are already here and in circulation,” Murphy said. “That would be our preference but it’s not final. We need to make sure these carts are going to work with our [new $460,000 fully-automated garbage] truck.”
Murphy said if it’s determined the carts from the regional district are incompatible with the truck, staff recommend and council agreed that a contract be awarded to Superior IPL, subject to successful negotiations and confirmation that they were manufactured in Canada, of 1,450 120-litre carts at a price between $43 and $50 each, plus taxes, shipping and other associated costs.
Council also agreed to award the contract to Superior IPL for 2,900 240-litre carts for the collection of recyclables and organics, subject to successful negotiations, at a cost of between $73 and $78 each plus taxes, shipping and associated costs.
Duncan’s fully-automated garbage collection will begin for city residents soon after the new automated-collection carts are delivered, which is expected in either May or June.
The city will publish an exact start date once it is known when the carts will be delivered.
The new fully-automated garbage truck arrived in February.
