Curbside organic waste collection could be on its way to Windsor-Essex.
The province has rolled out a proposed framework for municipalities as part of its 'Strategy for a Waste-Free Ontario'.
Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority General Manager, Eli Maodus says the plan calls for organic waste collection for single family dwellings, in urban settlement areas, by 2022.
Under the current framework, Windsor, Amherstburg, LaSalle, Leamington and Tecumseh would receive the service. Essex, Kingsville and Lakeshore would not receive the service based on lower population densities.
Maodus says if the plan is enacted, it would be up to the authority and municipalities to administer it. "The collection would be the responsibility of each municipality just like they do with garbage collection and the current yard waste. So that's undertaken by the municipalities, but what would happen after that? Where's the material taken and how is it processed? That would best be done on a regional basis."
"Municipalities and ratepayers would be on the hook for any additional costs," says Maodus. "Any waste diversion program has costs to it. So there would be less material going to the landfill, but that doesn't mean that there would be less costs at the landfill. So any waste diversion activity, unfortunately, always adds costs to any municipal budget or authority budget in which would then ultimately have to be paid by the ratepayers."
Maodus adds, no final decision have been made yet as the framework is only at the discussion level.
If no changes are made to the current proposal, the initiative would be rolled out before the next provincial election and municipalities would have until 2022 to figure out how to deliver the service.