In the three years since Toronto Mayor John Tory unveiled the $31-million new-generation green bins and declared war on raccoons, residents have made 472 complaints about the clever critters breaking into or damaging their raccoon-resistant compost receptacles. The 311 complaints — obtained through a freedom-of-information request, since the city’s waste management division does not track them — come from all corners of Toronto and range in tone from baffled to furious. At least 352 of the complaints were about raccoons getting into the bins, while another 120 reported raccoon damage. “Raccoons opening bin every single night. Please investigate,” said one complaint from Scarborough-Southwest. “Caller is irate and demanding to speak to a green bin specialist,” said one from Etobicoke Centre. “Resident would like to have her old green bin back,” said one of several complaints from residents demanding the return of the original compost receptacle.Some wards were targeted more than others. Scarborough-Southwest tops the list for reported green-bin breaches with 59 complaints, a claim to fame that may be attributed to what one resident guessed last year was a “superhuman muscular raccoon operating locally,” though more likely it’s because Scarborough was the first area to receive the new bins during an 18-month rollout.Don Valley West comes in second, with 43 complaints, followed by Beaches-East York with 27. The total complaint count is far greater than past estimates provided by officials with the city’s waste management division, who say they do not have a “formal process” for tracking raccoon-related green bin complaints because “it has not proven to be a significant issue.” Previous estimates were based on “surveying staff in the field,” Lisa Duncan, director of collection and litter operations, said in a statement. Late last August, the city said th ...
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