Geoff Rathbone, the city works manager who recently wrote a report recommending increased privatization of Toronto garbage collection, is himself moving to the private sector.

Rathbone, currently general manager of solid waste management services, will soon become a vice-president of Progressive Waste Solutions, formerly BFI Canada, he said Friday.

“I have taken a number of steps to address potential conflicts of interest,” he said, including notifying the city’s integrity commissioner as soon as he knew an offer was coming from the company, and removing himself from the privatization file.

Rathbone said he doesn’t know if Progressive will bid on the tenders to contract out curbside collection of trash and recyclables for 165,000 homes between Yonge St. and Etobicoke’s eastern border.

During four years in his current job, and six previous years in the department, Rathbone has been involved in: expansion of Toronto’s recycling program, including introduction of the green bin; purchase of the Green Lane Landfill in Elgin Township; and the 2009 civic workers’ strike that halted garbage pickup.