Green bins offer buffet for raccoons

While the green bin program is meant to promote proper waste disposal and protect the environment, some Toronto residents are complaining the bins themselves are providing an “all you can eat” venue for the city’s raccoon population.

Midtown resident John Eleen said the latch doesn’t secure the lid securely, which allows raccoons easy access to the garbage.

“My raccoons discovered the flaw,” said Eleen, adding city’s solution of tying a bungee cord around the lid doesn’t seem to work.

“In general I support the green bin system but it just seems that somebody in the works departments chose a faulty bin. I keep it in my garage and the raccoons still get into it.”

Eleen said residents shouldn’t have to foot the bill for the additional costs of fixing the bins.

“The city should recall the faulty green bins, just as they recall faulty tires on cars,” he said. “The city has to respond to the concerns of its residents and animal-proof the bins.”

But Kevin Vibert, of the city’s waste diversion department, said the bins can never be 100 percent animal-proof.

“The bin is not rodent-proof but it is resistant,” said Vibert, adding the city would never consider recalling the bins. “It’s more secure than garbage bins and even more than garbage bags. There is no fault with the green bins.”

The city has acknowledged there is a problem with raccoons getting into the waste, but Vibert said they’ve done everything possible to remedy this.

“After the Etobicoke homes received the bins, we spoke to the manufacturers of the green bins to retrofit and tighten the latch,” he said. “We have tightened it the maximum it can be. The green bin does what it’s supposed to do. Residents just need to pay extra attention to them.”

And local councillor Joe Mihevc (Ward 21) agrees.

“Plain and simple, raccoons are smarter than us,” said Mihevc, who has received complaints about the bins from his Forest Hill constituents. “The city designed the bins with animal-proofing in mind and 90 percent of the time they work.”

Mihevc said there would be fewer problems if people actually made sure the latch is properly secured and took other precautions such as using a garbage bag inside the green bin and making sure the edges of the bag are tucked in. He also suggested putting the bins out in the morning of collection instead of the night before, and recommended purchasing a heavier lock to further deter raccoons.

“But once you have done all that and raccoons still are able to get into your garbage, then you have to realize that the bin can never be 100 percent animal-proof. It then becomes a game between humans trying to outsmart the raccoons, who aren’t stupid.”