For the last seven years, Hamilton politicians have been dragged kicking and screaming to adopt waste programs aimed at meeting the city's ambitious 65 per cent diversion rate by 2008.

The political reluctance to adopt innovative programs has been the fear embedded in the waste management master plan that at some point Hamilton politicians would have to consider a one-container limit and possibly even introduce a user pay system or "bag tag" to force wasteful homeowners to conserve.

So the surprise this week wasn't that councillors debated a staff recommendation to adopt a one-container limit. The surprise was a majority of public works committee members, with added help from Mayor Fred Eisenberger, adopted the recommendation.

The decision - especially if it is upheld by the full city council next week - marks a milestone in Hamilton's strategy to deal with its mounting garbage problem.

Since 2000, there has been a perception that Hamilton has been at the vanguard of waste management diversion tactics. Nothing could be further from the truth.

To be sure councillors have reluctantly agreed to spend millions of dollars on waste diversion programs, including $30 million for a state-of-the-art composting facility, and expanding its blue box recycling program to where it is one of the municipal leaders.

But beyond the waste hyperbole, Hamilton has been a follower and not a leader when it comes to adopting new waste management programs.

It took Hamilton politicians until 2005 to introduce its organic green cart program, an essential waste diversion tool that other municipalities, such as Niagara and Guelph, had introduced years before.

Yet the program is only being used by about 50 per cent of residents. Councillors agreed this week to finally expand the program into multi-residential.

More than 100 Ontario municipalities, such as Barrie and Peterborough, have had container limits in place for 10 years.

Hamilton only began enforcing a three-container limit in 2006. Although most former suburban municipalities had some container limit established prior to amalgamation, the old city of Hamilton had an obscene six-container limit for homeowners.

The more stringent - to Hamilton standards - waste policies introduced this week is an admission the city is in a waste management crisis that cries out for dramatic action.

Hamilton's diversion rate has drastically improved from an anemic 18 per cent in 2000, to a respectable 40 per cent this year. But it isn't enough. The city's goal was to reach a 65 per cent waste diversion rate by 2008. This summer, waste management officials revealed Hamilton couldn't meet that goal until more drastic measures took place. The diversion rate goal is now 65 per cent by 2010.

Hamilton is expected to see its population soar by 2030, and its current population continues to throw its waste around like drunken sailors. If the city can't find alternative ways to eliminate its wasteful habits, Hamilton will become a municipality in financial and environmental chaos.

Despite this apocalyptic scenario, it has been the lack of political decision-making rather than the bureaucratic process that has hamstrung Hamilton's ability to make this community a leader in waste management. For some reason, Hamiltonians still believe, in this enlightened green era, they have a right to produce as much waste as they did 20 years ago without absorbing any of the consequences.

As Mr. Eisenberger said: "I know you will hear from folks that you are putting the onus on us to do more. Well, we are. We need to provide leadership."

The decision to establish a one-container limit, and possibility introduce a user pay system for the future, may seem onerous to what has been a sheltered community. But it's time Hamilton truly became a leader in conserving its waste and save itself from destruction.