The City of Kingston apologizes to citizens following public frustration over the garbage bag tag price increase.
At its Dec. 3 meeting, City Council unanimously approved doubling the cost of garbage bag tags from $2 to $4 each. The tags, which are required for any additional garbage bags exceeding the weekly limit of one untagged bag or container per household, can be purchased online in packs of four for $16.
The price hike sparked backlash in the City of Kingston Facebook group, where residents claimed the increase would lead to more illegal dumping. Many also expressed frustration over the lack of advanced notice or communication about the decision.
“We know the increase surprised many people, and we apologize for not sharing this information sooner,” the City of Kingston said in a news release.
According to the City, the cost to deliver garbage has increased by $700,000 from 2021, with landfill costs and fuel surcharges increasing. The new tag price is intended to cover a portion of this shortfall.
“The cost of garbage collection service has risen to a budgeted amount of $5.5 million for 2025. Actual landfill costs and fuel surcharges have increased from $93 per metric tonne in 2021 to $104 in 2024,” the City of Kingston said in a statement to The Journal.
The city stated bag tags that were previously bought for a lower price before 2025 will continue to be valid even with the change.
Despite the explanation regarding the decision, some students are upset at the increase.
“I understand that the City would need to increase the cost of garbage bag tags but it’s frustrating that it was done with little to no notice or consultation with the citizens,” Owen Massey, ArtSci ’27 said in an interview with The Journal. “So many students are already on budgets, and this is just one more thing that’s getting more expensive.”
Residents have also taken a stand against the increased costs.
“No reasonable advance notice was made to the public of a 100 per cent increase in the purchase of [garbage] bag tags […] I heard rumours about a week before the effective increase in price date on a Kingston Facebook group but when I went to check on the City’s website, there was nothing indicated about a bag tag price increase,” Sarah Bertelsen, Sydenham District resident wrote in a statement to The Journal.
Bertelsen said when the City announced they would be increasing the cost of bag tags, she found the link to buy the tags from the City was shut down and there was no way to buy them online leaving residents scrambling to find them in-person, with some individuals having to go store-to-store.
“The bag tag cost increase will affect young families and seniors likely more than anyone, whose income is typically lower,” Bertelsen said. “Families with diapers and children living at home, seniors who require assistance with things like cat litter disposal and the lifting of bags and recycling may not be able to have help and may be forced to hire assistance with garbage and recycling.”
While Bertelsen acknowledged that some increase was expected in the new year, she criticized the lack of notice and the decision to double the cost.
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