Garbage and Recycling

Essex County’s local municipalities have voted against transferring responsibility for the collection of garbage to the County of Essex. Below are some answers to some frequently asked questions about the process and also the coming organics collection program.

FAQs: Regional Organics Program and Waste Initiative

Q – Why was this process started in the first place?

A – Essex County Council, comprised of the mayors and deputy mayors of each of the seven local municipalities, directed County of Essex staff to investigate the feasibility of transferring responsibility for the collection of garbage to the County of Essex. Council wanted to explore the possibility of savings and improved service through economies of scale, by having one large contract instead of seven separate contracts administered by each local municipality. As well, since the coming organics collection program will be run on a regional basis, like every other solid waste program, Council wanted to see if savings could be achieved by likewise operating garbage collection on a regional basis. Council ultimately voted to regionalize the collection of garbage.

Q – If Council voted in favour of regionalizing the collection of garbage, why wasn’t it regionalized?

A – County Council passed a By-Law to regionalize garbage collection. In order for that By-Law to take effect, four of the seven local municipalities, comprising at least 50 per cent of the electors in the County of Essex, needed to pass supporting resolutions. That threshold was not met. Only three municipalities passed supporting resolutions: Amherstburg, Tecumseh and Leamington. Four municipalities did not pass supporting resolutions: Essex, Kingsville, Lakeshore and LaSalle.

Q – What happens now?

A – Nothing will change. Each local municipality retains responsibility for the collection of garbage in their municipality as well as the cost for providing that service. The County will have no responsibility for the collection of garbage.

Q – What about that County By-Law?

A – The By-Law has been rescinded by County Council.

Q – What about this Organics collection program I’ve been hearing about?

A – The Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority will begin rolling out in late 2025 and early 2026 a regional organics program for all seven local municipalities. The launch of this regional food and organics collection program was prompted by provincial legislation requiring municipalities of a certain size and density to divert organic waste from the landfill. The diversion target was 50 per cent for Amherstburg, LaSalle, Tecumseh, and Leamington. Kingsville, Essex and Lakeshore did not have to meet targets. County Council voted last term to implement a regional organics program.

Q – Will there be a cost to this new organics collection program?

A – Yes, it is a new service and there will be a cost to implement the program. The precise costs will not be known until the conclusion of a competitive bidding process. This contract will be issued separately from the garbage collection contracts administered by each local municipality.

Q – Will my garbage collection service change when the organics program takes effect?

A – The service level for garbage collection will continue to be determined by your local municipality as will the ongoing costs of providing that service. What will change is that you will receive a new service as trucks come to your house every week to pick up your organics, such as food waste and coffee grinds. To meet legislated organic diversion targets, residents will be encouraged to separate their food and organic waste from their regular garbage. This will likely mean you will have less garbage to put out each week.

Q – Am I going to be paying for the organics collection program even though I won’t use it?

A – Yes, everyone receiving organics collection will pay for the organics program in addition to the garbage collection program. The province is requiring municipalities to launch organics programs whether they want to or not. An organics program is good for the environment and good for the bottom line as it would extend the life of the regional landfill. A new landfill would take 15 years to site and cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Q – How is the collection of garbage and organics handled in other jurisdictions?

A – More and more municipalities are handling garbage and organics collection on a regional basis and find that every other week garbage collection is sufficient and cost-effective considering organics and food waste account for about 40 per cent of traditional garbage. The City of Windsor and the City of London are two recent examples. Others include Barrie, Durham, Guelph, Halton, Niagara, Ottawa, Peel, Simcoe, Toronto and York. Every other week garbage collection combined with a weekly organics program is considered a municipal best practice that yields cost savings and environmental benefits.

The Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority is responsible for recycling, yard waste and waste
disposal in Windsor and Essex County. Windsor and each local municipality handle garbage collection services.