The president of the Bluewater Recycling Association says winter weather presents some unique problems for the people who collect waste and recyclables.
Francis Veilleux says when there is a significant accumulation of snow, people put their material on top of a snow bank and the person collecting the material has to climb to the top of the bank to get the material. Veilleux says that often results in falls and injuries which slow down the process at one of the busiest times of the year.
"If there's any kind of accumulation sometimes people forget about our people who have to collect the material. If it's set out on top of a mountain of snow then our people have to climb on top to get the material and quite often they can fall or slip and hurt themselves and that doesn't help anybody," he says.
He says the other problem can be wind. He recommends putting a bundle of cardboard or paper on top of the box to add some weight, or put a piece of plywood with a rock on top of the blue box to prevent the wind from blowing it all over.
In the end, though, Veilleux says there are days when it's just better to wait for a day when the wind isn't as strong.
