The City of Mission has unveiled plans to transition to an automated curbside collection system by 2027.
According to a news release on Wednesday (Jan. 15), the City recently issued a call for proposals from contractors to support the transition from a manual to an automated collection system.
The city says the current contract doesn’t expire until the end of June and changes to the current collection methods won’t come into effect until late 2026 or early 2027.
“Once the next service contract has been awarded, staff will work with the contractor to develop a comprehensive transition plan,” the city said.
The plan will include timelines for switching and other possible adjustments to the program.
In recent surveys, the city says Mission residents expressed an appetite for an automated system using larger, standardized collection carts.
Per the release, the benefits of automated collection include larger, easy-to-roll carts.
“Waste collection across the country is moving toward automation. Some contractors are no longer willing to collect waste manually due to the increased potential for worker injury and staff burnout leading to higher staff turnover. Automated collection still requires staffing to operate and maintain trucks. In fact, the staffing requirements between automated, manual, or semi-automated are very similar,” the release said.
Costs will be determined throughout the request-for-proposal process, the city said.
“Once the contract is awarded, and specifics are finalized, the City of Mission will diligently assess how these potential costs may impact residents. The decision on whether and how to translate these costs to residents will be made by council, keeping in mind the responsibility to make informed decisions that benefit the community.”
Staff will communicate the changes to residents ahead of time.