Solid waste user fee study

What we did

We wanted to hear from you so we can improve waste collection in the Downtown. We Visited businesses in person and they could choose to speak with our staff about their needs or complete a survey. Over 100 businesses completed the online survey to help us understand current waste collection practices!

We are using that information to help frame conversations over the summer of 2025 with the newly formed working group.

About the survey

The information you provide will help us understand how businesses and property owners/managers use waste collection services within Downtown Guelph. For the solid waste user fee study, this information and the future discussions at the study’s Working Group will be used to develop different user fee models; these options will be brought back to the Downtown community in the summer of 2025 in a follow-up survey for feedback.

Participation in this survey is voluntary. This survey is intended for Downtown Guelph businesses (including services and institutions) and commercial/industrial property owners in the Downtown.

In this survey, we will ask:

• Information about your business or property
• How you currently manage and dispose of various types of waste (garbage, recycling and organics)
• How often you dispose of them
• What types of bins or carts you currently use
• If certain options being considered for waste collection and schedules may meet your needs in the future
• If you have any concerns, comments or ideas to improve on those presented options

At the end of the survey, we will share information and offer registration for additional programs that are open and seeking involvement from our business community.

• The Solid Waste User Fee Study working group
• A new pilot program beginning in May to improve Organic Waste collection
• A program with our partner organization B12Give to redirect leftover food to reach those in need.

Privacy statement:

Personal information, as defined by the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) is collected under the authority of the Municipal Act, 2001, and in accordance with the provisions of MFIPPA. Personal information on this survey will be used to inform Downtown waste collection and related projects. If you have questions about this collection; use, and disclosure of this information, contact the City of Guelph’s Information and Access Coordinator at 519-822-1260 extension 2349 or by email at privacy@guelph.ca.