WINNIPEG – People threw out more trash last year and COVID-19 is likely to blame.

According to Michael Gordichuk, the city’s manager of solid waste services, residential garbage rose 12 per cent in 2020.

He says it looks like Winnipeggers used their pandemic downtime to clean up around the house.

There was also a big jump in the amount of cardboard sent for recycling, probably containers from buying stuff online.