Around 5,000 tonnes of trash on Montreal sidewalks after July 1 Moving Day

After Moving Day in Montreal, the streets are showing signs of the hectic day that was.

Furniture, boxes and trash lined the sidewalks across the city, with the city ramping up its waste collection services.

But the familiar sight is more than just an eyesore for some; it’s the busiest time of the year for the Trash2Treasure program, which gives a second life to items that would ordinarily end up in a landfill.

“Every time we do a Trash2Treasure edition, we collect several tonnes of furniture, and we have dozens of homes where we pick up pieces of furniture and items,” said Laure Tapiero, the executive director of Sollicité, the environmental community organization that operates the program.

One of those donors was Anabel, a Montrealer who passed along items she no longer needs.

“I’m giving away a TV, an office chair, a computer, an AC and a mirror,” she told CityNews.

“Because instead of throwing them away, making sure that you can recycle as much as you can is a very good thing.”

Sollicité’s Trash2Treasure program is contracted by the boroughs of Westmount, Ville-Marie and the Plateau-Mont-Royal. The group says its furniture recycling program is essential to keeping the city clean.

“We collect items, and then we gather them all at the same place at our container,” Tapiero said. “And then we give them back to either people walking by who are interested in pieces of furniture. They can make a donation.”

The program is doing its part to lessen the load on the City of Montreal, which says collection services are swamped.

“We’re facing quite a challenge,” admitted Philippe Sabourin, a spokesperson for the city. “There is nearly 5,000 tonnes of different materials to be picked up on the curb of the street.”

The City of Montreal says it will take close to a week to clear out all the trash across the 19 boroughs.

Officials are encouraging Montrealers to sort their garbage before bringing it to the curb.

“If you don’t sort the items, then all the materials are mixed up together and everything will go into the dump,” said Sabourin.

Information on pick-up days is available on the city’s website, with officials asking residents to only drop off their trash during the morning of their pick-up.

For renters looking to dispose of hazardous materials, the city recommends using an Ecocentre or visiting its website to find a designated drop-off site.