Windsor joins regional organic waste project to meet 2025 diversion target

Curbside food and organic waste collection is a step closer to reality in Windsor following a decision at city council on Monday.

City councillors unanimously agreed to join a regional food and organics waste management project, run by the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority (EWSWA). The program is being offered to abide by provincial legislation that requires regions to divert organic waste away from landfills by 2025. 

The City of Windsor is required to provide curbside collection of food and organic waste and must divert 70 per cent of its organic waste. Meanwhile, smaller communities — Leamington, Amherstburg, LaSalle and Tecumseh — only have to divert 50 per cent.

These regions also don't need to provide curbside collection, but instead can do a public, drop-off depot or create a community composting area. 

Kingsville, Essex and Lakeshore are currently exempt due to their population size. 

Michelle Bishop, general manager of EWSWA, said in a presentation to councillors Monday that a regional approach would include several benefits, such as consistent service across the region and lower collection costs.

But in general, she said this will help the environment. 

"From an environmental standpoint I think it goes without saying that any opportunity we have to divert organics and waste from the landfill should certainly be explored," she said. 

In 2020, the city hired a company, GHD, to create a waste management plan. Last year, council approved another company to perform a third party review on the plan presented by GHD. 

The review recommended that all local municipalities should join together in a regional plan. 

This regional plan would see the municipalities sign on to a short term contract with a service provider. 

Municipalities have until March 31 to sign on to the regional plan, at which point Bishop said EWSWA will look to sign a short-term contract with a waste processing provider. 

So far, Bishop said Leamington and Amherstburg have "committed" to a regional approach, Lakeshore has agreed "in principal" and LaSalle has expressed its interest to Essex County. 

After March, EWSWA's Food and Organic Waste Management Oversight Committee will continue to work on a permanent, long-term food and organic waste processing solution. 

During the presentation, Bishop said a "significant amount of effort" needs to be put forward to establish a long-term program. 

According to Bishop it needs to look into permanent solutions as the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks has told EWSWA, that the province is looking to implement a ban on organic disposals in landfills and is tentatively planning for it to start in 2030.