The mayor of Toronto, Mel Lastman, is in Edmonton to visit the city's waste management facilities.

Lastman is embroiled in a controversy over how Toronto should get rid of its garbage. A plan to haul garbage to a northern Ontario mine fell through last week.

Edmonton reduces its waste by about 70 per cent through a new composting plant and an automated recycling plant.

Connie Boyce, who speaks for the city's waste management branch, says there is a lot of interest in what Edmonton is doing with its garbage.

"The problems in Toronto have really raised our profile," says Boyce. "We have been getting calls from all over North America. People are realizing that there is a city that is composting on a large scale."

Edmonton's garbage facilities are becoming recognized in Toronto for another reason. Former Edmonton city councillor, Tooker Gomberg, is running for mayor in Toronto and highlighting Edmonton's waste management program.