The new green bin program by the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority (EWSWA), is on track to launch this fall. Similar to the blue/red box recycling program, the green bins will see residents compost their food waste and organic items for weekly collection. This program will launch in two phases to align with existing municipal waste contracts. Phase 1 will see Essex, Lakeshore, LaSalle, Tecumseh and Windsor begin the week of Oct. 21, with Amherstburg, Kingsville, and Leamington starting in phase 2 in fall 2026. Starting in July, a 120 litre Green Bin with a gravity lock, a seven-litre kitchen catcher, and program instructions will be delivered to 120,000 homes in the phase 1 municipalities. These deliveries are expected to take three months to complete. The green bin itself has a lock on it to prevent animals from getting inside, and when tipped over completely, the gravity lock will unlatch to allow for collection. Michelle Bishop, general manager at EWSWA, says if the program is used properly the impact is substantial. “Our waste audits that were performed over the last two years indicate that over 48 per cent of the material in your regular garbage can is organics. So, if you are an active recycler, you promote diversion, and you participate properly in the program, half of your garbage could be gone.” Cathy Copot-Nepszy, manager of waste diversion at EWSWA, says education over the next nine months is critical, but believes residents will catch on quickly. “Our residents are really great recyclers in the blue box program. They have good values around keeping stuff out of the landfill. So, this will just be another program where they can do that, and this program will help them to become even more green.” Gary McNamara, Tecumseh mayor and chair of the EWSWA board, says it’s never too late to care about the environment. “I think it’s still a win-win-win for everyone. And just the sheer cost of siting another landfill, forget about the difficulties of convincing municipalities to have a landfill, but just the cost is probably in the neighbourhood between $200 million and $300 million that we would have to spend.” Collection within the County of Essex will be by Miller Waste Systems, with the City of Windsor is finalizing its contract at this time. There are varying costs to municipalities for this program, however county council approved the program within the 2025 budget for the county and the city. At this time, garbage collection will remain the same weekly within the municipalities of the County of Essex. The green bin will be collected weekly and will be sent to Seacliff Energy in Leamington. The green bin will collect anything from coffee filters, food scraps, eggshells, grease, meat and bones, tissues, among much more. This program is to ensure that the Windsor-Essex region is complying with Ontario’s Food and Organic Waste Policy Statement, which requires municipalities to achieve specific reduction and recovery target rates by 2025. — Meagan Delaurier/AM800 News
