Garbage bins delivered for St. John's automated collection pilot project

The new faces of garbage collection in St. John's were lined up like soldiers at the curb onsome city streets Friday morning.

Truckloads of black bins, part of the first phase of the city's automated garbage collection, are beingdropped off to homes and apartments over the next few weeks.

The carts are electronically tagged and will be emptied by trucks with robotic arms, instead of manually. People can start using them immediately but the automated pickup will start June 11.

It's a system already in use in neighbouring communities such as Mount Pearl and Paradise, and is said to be safer and more efficient, with less litter from bags ripped open by birds.

A how-to book is included with the bins, outlining the rules. For example, garbage must still be bagged and carts must be parked with wheels against the curb with arrows pointing to the street. Each bin can accommodate up to four bags.

• Automated garbage collection coming to select St. John's streets this June

Recycling and yard waste do not go in the cart, and residents are asked not to use rocks to keep the bins from blowing away since they are made to withstand the wind.

Phase One includes about athird of the city. Earlier this year, council approved a tender for 44,000 bins at a cost of $3 million.

Residents can checktheCurb It website for more information.