The region will be able to start using their new green bins beginning next week.
The green bin program will officially begin the week of October 20, and the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority (EWSWA) states this is a long time coming.
The program will begin in Windsor, Essex, Lakeshore, LaSalle, and Tecumseh first, with residents being urged to try it before dismissing the program completely.
All food waste and organic material can be deposited into the green bin, which will then be sent to Seacliff Energy in Leamington to be converted into a liquid fertilizer. The fertilizer will be used at local farms and greenhouses as early as next year.
Residents throughout the region have been very open on social media expressing concerns and hesitancy towards using the new bin. Some residents have also posted regarding damage to their bin that was delivered before the program even launched.
Michelle Bishop, General Manager at EWSWA, says this has been a long time coming.
"This is a program that was first approved and endorsed not only by Windsor City Council, but the County of Essex, back in late 2020. So, we've been five years in planning this roll out, so it's a very exciting time that has finally come to fruition."
She says they've heard from residents whose bins were damaged.
"When they got their bin, if their lid was a little bit warped, give it a few days to settle in, and then if it didn't settle in certainly reach out to us and we could work through any instructions, or in some situations we've had to go out and swap some lids out. So, if a resident has their bin, and it's not setting in properly, and the lock is not seating, please give us a call."
Gary McNamara, Tecumseh mayor and chair of the EWSWA board, is pleading for residents to give the program a try.
"I really believe that once our residents get into the routine, they're going to see the benefits of it, and they're going to also see the amount of garbage that they're actually taking out, minus the organics, will be reduced dramatically."
This program will help to divert waste from the landfill in Essex which is due to reach capacity in 2040. Bishop states that the price tag of a new landfill in the region would cost between $500-million and $700-million - which would be paid for by taxpayers locally.
Collection in Windsor and Essex County will be completed by Miller Waste Systems. There are 14 trucks for Windsor, and 15 for the County of Essex once all municipalities are included in the program. Each truck will be operated by one driver only.
Over 117,000 green bins have been delivered in phase one. Once phase two is launched, there will be a total of 150,000 green bins locally.
Phase two will include Amherstburg, Kingsville, and Leamington and will see green bin delivery in fall 2026.
The EWSWA provides a demonstration of how the new green bin program will work. This new program will officially kick off in Windsor, Lakeshore, LaSalle, Tecumseh, and the Town of Essex starting the week of Oct. 21. @AM800CKLW pic.twitter.com/mgqxA3Irnt
— Meagan Delaurier (she/her) (@DelaurierMeagan) October 7, 2025