Toronto – Toronto City Council approved the Residual Waste Management Work Plan, which outlines short- and medium-term plans to extend the lifespan of the City of Toronto’s Green Lane Landfill and planning activities to manage garbage, also known as residual waste, in the long term.
The City manages approximately 450,000 tonnes of garbage every year. Based on current tonnage and waste volumes, the City’s Green Lane Landfill is expected to reach capacity by 2034/2035. While the City has a number of successful waste reduction and diversion programs in place to support the Long Term Waste Management Strategy’s goals of zero-waste and moving towards a circular economy, long-term solutions for garbage disposal beyond the lifespan of Green Lane Landfill are still required. Toronto’s increasing population, economic growth and housing commitments will also impact the amount of waste that will need to be managed.
It is critical that the City continues planning for the future, long-term disposal of Toronto’s garbage, as building new waste disposal infrastructure can take more than 10 years to complete. The Residual Waste Management Work Plan provides time to study, develop and operationalize long-term options.
Short- and medium-term actions as part of the plan include:
- Negotiating and entering into one or more residual waste disposal agreements or extending existing waste disposal agreements with landfills located in Ontario, to redirect waste from Green Lane Landfill
- Conducting community consultations on energy-from-waste as an option to manage garbage and reporting back to Council prior to pursuing negotiations with energy-from-waste facilities
- Considering waste disposal as an option when procuring new waste collection contracts, to determine if there are cost-saving opportunities in bundling waste collection with waste disposal
As developing a new landfill is not feasible within the boundaries of Toronto, the City will begin a process to engage and, where there is interest, negotiate with existing Ontario landfill owners for the purchase of a landfill to meet the City’s needs. City staff will issue a request for expression of interest for municipalities in Ontario to identify their interest in becoming a host for the City to build a new landfill. City staff will report back to Council before entering into procurement processes or negotiations related to energy from waste. All long-term options will be assessed through an environmental, social and financial lens for their potential impacts.
The Council-adopted staff report also includes direction for staff to:
- Provide an updated Long Term Waste Management Strategy that maximizes waste diversion
- Report back on a strategy and policy framework for the circular economy transition in Toronto that is consistent with TransformTO and the City’s carbon budget carbon accountability mechanism
The City has one of the most comprehensive integrated waste management systems in North America and manages close to 900,000 tonnes of waste each year. In 2022, the City diverted a total of 377,825 tonnes of residential waste from landfill through its Green Bin organics, Blue Bin recycling, yard waste and Christmas tree collection programs, Community Environment Days and collection and proper disposal of household hazardous waste, appliances and electronic waste. It’s also important for residents to do their part to help reduce waste, by participating in City programs and taking a few other simple actions such as:
- Refusing to take items like receipts, extra napkins and cutlery unless necessary
- Avoiding items wrapped in too much packaging
- Using reusable shopping bags, coffee mugs, water bottles and other reusable items, instead of using disposable ones
- Repurposing, repairing or swapping items
- Buying only what is needed and considering the impact of packaging when making purchases
More information about ways to reduce waste is available on the City’s website.
“We all have a role to play to keep items out of landfill. I am pleased that the City is taking active measures to secure long-term solutions to manage Toronto’s garbage, while continuing to encourage actions that everyone can take to reduce our waste, both now and in the future.” – Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park)