Seattle fines you for tossing recyclables. Calgary charges a refundable deposit on bottles.

From municipality to borough in Canada, the rules for garbage are as diverse as the trash itself. It can be public or private, and in many places, a matter of considerable debate.

In Calgary, where collection is funded by tax dollars, suggestions have been made about switching to a pay system to make the service more equitable.

"We've been asked: 'How does someone benefit if they are recycling and backyard composting, versus someone who might be routinely putting out multiple bags each week?" explains Dave Griffiths, Calgary's waste and recycling director.

Vancouver already charges by the litre for garbage, making citizens accountable for what's tossed to the curb. New York has incentives to deal with the city's high trash volume, including a reward for reporting illegal dumpers. San Francisco, with its 75 per cent recycling goal, is the most environmentally progressive.

In Toronto, where the city spends about $180 per household on garbage collection, a user-pay system like Vancouver's, is being actively considered. Details of a formal proposal should be known in the next few months.

Public collection is currently covered by property taxes. The city takes care of half a million homes and commercial dwellings on main routes, such as through Chinatown and other large streets with stores and restaurants. Trash, recycling, yard waste and organic compost are all picked up. The only refuse refused are bins exceeding 20 kilograms.

As Toronto and other centres look for ways to reduce waste and lessen overloaded property taxes, how exactly are other major municipalities in North America cleaning up at the curb?

New York

Due to high downtown density, New York City collects an average of 12,000 U.S. tons of trash a day. Trucks go out as often as two to three times a week to households, small businesses and schools.

Collection is covered by property taxes. The finance department assesses each property differently, for example, according to size. This also includes regular pickup of recycling and yard waste, but not organic waste.

For large complexes, garbage is a private matter, carted away for a fee by one of the city's large waste companies.

New York is one of the most ruthless municipalities when it comes to collection rules. A resident forgetting a holiday schedule change could be fined for garbage sitting at the curb on the wrong day.

An incentive plan also helps curtail waste. The "illegal dumping awards program" grants 50 per cent of the collected fine to anyone signing an affidavit that leads to a conviction. In some cases, fines can reach upwards of $40,000 US.

Future garbage initiatives include a 20-year solid waste plan that will increase the variety of plastics recyclable and introduce a new recycling education campaign.

Seattle

In Seattle, apartment buildings and businesses are fined for not recycling, while residents who toss bottles into their trash will have their bags left behind.

The city administers and monitors garbage service, which is handled entirely by private companies that bill households six times a year. City inspectors check to see private companies are doing their job, and make sure no recyclables make it into trash bags.

As Brett Stav of Seattle Public Utilities explains, the city's trash policy focuses on giving people a reason to throw out less and recycle more.

"In America, when it's in your property tax, people don't even look at those things," says Stav. "We provide incentives for people to get things out of the garbage."

In a pay-as-you-throw system, residents select an appropriately sized garbage can. It costs them from about $10 US a month for a can holding 12 gallons (about 45.5 litres), to about $50 US for a can holding 96 gallons (about 364 litres).

The city, which has a recycling rate of nearly 50 per cent, also offers a reduction in costs for organic waste collection from businesses. They pay about 20 per cent less than what it would cost to put vegetable scraps into the garbage.

Vancouver

In Vancouver, a similar pay system regulates garbage collection. The city's smallest garbage container costs $70 a year and holds 75 litres (about one bag). The largest for $147 a year packs in about 360 litres (four or five large bags).

Putting out more bags on occasion is possible by purchasing pay-as-you-go tickets at your local Safeway or city outlets.

To be more efficient, Vancouver's trucks have been automated. A driver uses a robotic system to raise and dump the cans. The pay-can system with its maximum weights and its requirement that cans be fully closed helps make automation possible.

"There's really good compliance and people are enthusiastic," says Brian Davies, assistant city solid waste engineer, about the pay-as-you-throw program.

The city also charges $10 to $20, depending on the type of dwelling, to pick up recyclable materials.

Concerned with cleanliness and aesthetics, Vancouver only collects from back alleyways rather than front lawns.

Houses are part of public collection, whereas most apartment complexes and businesses pay private companies.

Montreal

Collection happens often in Montreal. The city picks up garbage from most boroughs twice a week, taking care of homes and community dwellings like libraries and churches.

Since amalgamation, a couple of formerly suburban boroughs still pay a slight service fee for collection. Private companies are responsible for garbage collection from businesses, smaller restaurants and office towers.

The city doles out fines to people who don't comply with collection rules. Offences include putting recyclables in the trash or leaving couches at the curb side too long. Residents pay fines from $50 to $500, while businesses may forfeit up to $1,000.

Montreal recycles and picks up yard waste and Christmas trees, but it doesn't have an organic waste program.

Calgary

Calgary has no municipal recycling pickup. In the early 1990s, the city opened drop-off centres as part of an incentives program. People return glass, cans and plastic to retrieve a 10- or 20-cent deposit. (Recovery rates are about 80 per cent.) Other depots take in outdoor mulch for six weeks in the fall.

Spring and fall yard waste is collected, but pickup is limited to five bags, including yard and regular waste, with regular waste the priority.

The city collects garbage from homes no larger than four-plexes, while private companies take care of the rest. As in other municipalities, larger dwellings like businesses, restaurants and office towers pay a fee to private companies for pickup.

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