Toronto Solid Waste Management is the
municipal service
Municipal services or city services refer to basic services that residents of a city expect to the city government to provide in exchange for the taxes which citizens pay. Basic city services may include sanitation (both sewer and refuse), water, ...
that handles the transfer and disposal of garbage as well as the processing and sale of
recyclable materials
Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. The recovery of energy from waste materials is often included in this concept. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the p ...
collected through the
blue box
A blue box is an electronic device that produces tones used to generate the in-band signaling tones formerly used within the North American long-distance telephone network to send line status and called number information over voice circuits. ...
program in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. It also coordinates programs to help residents and business reduce their production of waste.
Issues
1990s End of Local Landfills
As the city's last remaining landfill site,
Keele Valley, neared capacity during the 1990s, it was found that no other municipality in
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a primary region of the province of Ontario, Canada, the other primary region being Northern Ontario. It is the most densely populated and southernmost region in Canada. The exact northern boundary of Southern Ontario is disp ...
was willing to accept the garbage, but there was also no political support for a change to
incineration
Incineration is a waste treatment process that involves the combustion of substances contained in waste materials. Industrial plants for waste incineration are commonly referred to as waste-to-energy facilities. Incineration and other high ...
. A deal was eventually made to ship Toronto's garbage to the
Adams Mine
Adams Mine is an abandoned mine, abandoned open pit mining, open pit iron ore mine located in the Boston Township, Ontario, Boston Township of the District of Timiskaming, south of Kirkland Lake in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canad ...
, an abandoned
open pit mine
Open-pit mining, also known as open-cast or open-cut mining and in larger contexts mega-mining, is a surface mining technique of extracting rock or minerals from the earth from an open-air pit, sometimes known as a borrow.
This form of mining ...
in
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a primary geographic and quasi-administrative region of the Canadian province of Ontario, the other primary region being Southern Ontario. Most of the core geographic region is located on part of the Superior Geological Provi ...
, once the Keele Valley site closed. But objections turned to serious controversy as the time neared, and eventually the agreement was cancelled.
2000–2006 Shipping Waste to US
By the time the Keele Valley site closed at the end of 2002, the city had made a deal that its garbage would be shipped by truck to a site in
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
,
Carleton Farms Landfill.
2006–2010 End of US waste shipment, search for new landfill and diversion targets
Concerns with the international border, and opposition from residents in Michigan prompted the need to look for alternate sites or expand the city's
recycling
Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. The recovery of energy from waste materials is often included in this concept. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the p ...
programs. Toronto's contract with Michigan lasts until 2008, and includes an option to expand to 2010, but the city is actively seeking options to close the contract sooner. Even the current contract could be in jeopardy following a vote in February 2006 by the Michigan House of Representatives to ban out-of-state garbage from being shipped to the state from Ontario and other U.S. states, but this requires approval by the US federal government before it can be enforced by Michigan. In May 2006, Carelton Farms, the garbage dump in Michigan that is under contract with the city of Toronto announced it would not be accepting waste sludge as of August 1, 2006, but would continue to receive household waste.
In September 2006, Toronto City council agreed to purchase the privately owned
Green Lane landfill site near
London, Ontario
London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...
. The contract to ship household garbage to Michigan ended in 2010, at which time the Green Lane landfill began to be used.
Jane Pitfield
Jane Pitfield, (born ) is a former Toronto city councillor, representing one of the two Don Valley West wards. She ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Toronto in 2006. She is currently the warden of Pontiac Regional County Municipality, Quebec.
Bac ...
who ran (and lost) against Mayor Miller in the November 2006 election advocated incineration as an alternative method of disposing of waste. She was opposed by many Toronto environmental groups but supported by others who point out that the technology has improved and incineration is now less polluting.
Even with 60% diversion through the green bin and recycling programs, residual waste from the
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel, and York. In total, the region contains 25 urban, suburban, and rural municipalities. The Greater T ...
would amass 2,200 tonnes (2,425 tons) a day or 800,000 tonnes (882,000 tons) a year.
In 2005, Toronto switched from a "blue box" (
plastic
Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...
and
metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
) and
"grey box" (paper) program to a unified recycling system. The city also introduced in 2005 a
green bin program
Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal.
This includes the Waste collection, collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste, togeth ...
to recover
compostable
Compost is a mixture of ingredients used as plant fertilizer and to improve soil's physical, chemical and biological properties. It is commonly prepared by decomposing plant, food waste, recycling organic materials and manure. The resulting m ...
materials. However, the green bin program has come under criticism by watch groups due to its cost, which is three times per tonne more to operate than currently shipping to Michigan.
There has long been heavy opposition from many Torontonians to waste incineration due to the perceived toxic emissions that result. However, a recent poll conducted in November 2006 shows that a majority of its citizens would now consider incineration as an alternative, which the former mayor Miller opposed. There is currently an incinerator operating in Brampton in adjacent
Peel Region, in operation since 1992, which meets the environment ministry's emission guidelines as well as producing power to serve around 5,000 homes.
In June 2006, suburban
York Region
The Regional Municipality of York, also called York Region, is a regional municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, between Lake Simcoe and Toronto. The region was established after the passing of then Bill 102, An Act to Establish The Regional M ...
and
Durham Region
The Regional Municipality of Durham (), informally referred to as Durham Region, is a regional municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada. Located east of Toronto and the Regional Municipality of York, Durham forms the east-end of the Greater Toron ...
announced they were jointly teaming up to procure an incineration site to be built by 2011 that will potentially power up to 200,000 homes but this does not include the city of Toronto.
In September 2006, city council approved an agreement to ship Toronto garbage to the Green Lane Waste Facility near
St. Thomas, Ontario. Councillors opposed to the agreement have accused Mayor Miller of pushing through a secretive deal and there has also been strong reaction from residents and MPs from the London-St. Thomas area.
2011–present Contracting Out Waste Collection
Under Mayor
Rob Ford
Robert Bruce Ford (May 28, 1969 – March 22, 2016) was a Canadian politician and businessman who served as the 64th mayor of Toronto from 2010 to 2014. Before and after his term as mayor, Ford was a city councillor representing Ward 2 Etobi ...
, the City began to look at ways to cut cost on waste management. One solution was for contracting out waste collection services to private contractors.
With the exception of
Etobicoke
Etobicoke (, ) is an administrative district of, and one of six municipalities amalgamated into, the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the city's west-end, Etobicoke was first settled by Europeans in the 1790s, and the municipalit ...
, the rest of Toronto's waste services employees were civic staff. In
Etobicoke
Etobicoke (, ) is an administrative district of, and one of six municipalities amalgamated into, the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the city's west-end, Etobicoke was first settled by Europeans in the 1790s, and the municipalit ...
services are contracted out to
Turtle Island Recycling Company
Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked tu ...
of
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
since 2008.
Transport of waste from transfer stations to landfills are contracted out to
Republic Services Canada Incorporated of
Dundas, Ontario : ''For the county in eastern Ontario see Dundas County, Ontario. For the upper tier county, see United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.''
Dundas is a community and town in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is nicknamed the ''Valley Town' ...
and
Wilson Logistics Incorporated of
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
.
Beginning in the mid-2012, a new contractor began residential pickup services.
GFL Environmental
GFL Environmental Inc. (also known as Green For Life or GFL) is a waste management company with headquarters in Toronto, Canada. GFL operates in all provinces in Canada, and currently employs more than 8,850 people. The company provides enviro ...
from
Pickering, Ontario
Pickering (2021 population 99,186) is a city located in Southern Ontario, Canada, immediately east of Toronto in Durham Region.
Beginning in the 1770s, the area was settled by primarily ethnic British colonists. An increase in population occurre ...
began to service the city west of
Yonge Street
Yonge Street (; pronounced "young") is a major arterial route in the Canadian province of Ontario connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes.
Once the southernmost leg of provincial Hi ...
and east of Etobicoke. In October 2011, the city nor contractors have indicated if current waste staff will be hired back to work on the two contracts, but in December GFL acquired Turtle Island Recycling
and took over the remaining term of the former contract from December 2011 and will be replaced by
Miller Waste Systems beginning in 2015.
Landfills
There are 160 former dumps located within the former city of Toronto and former Metro Toronto area
but most have been redeveloped in the 20th Century:
*
Harper's Dump - located in what is
Greenwood Subway Yard
The Greenwood Yard (also known as the Greenwood Complex) is a rail yard with support buildings that service subway vehicles on Line 2 Bloor–Danforth of the Toronto subway.
Greenwood is one of two subway yards on Line 2, the other being the m ...
and used during the 1930s
*
Riverdale Park - used for a single year in 1960
By the later 20th Century Toronto and previously Metro Toronto have used a number of sites mostly close to the city to handle solid waste collected:
*
Keele Valley Landfill - former landfill owned and used by Metro Toronto from 1983 (Toronto since 1998 to 2002) to deal with waste from all municipalities that now make up Toronto. Now sits idle until 2028 when re-development can commence.
*
Britannia Landfill Britannia landfill, now BraeBen Golf Course, and previously Britannia Hills Golf Course, was a garbage dump located in the city of Mississauga and later transformed into a golf course. The site is located on Terry Fox Way south of Britannia Road We ...
- former landfill in
Mississauga, Ontario
Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...
took Metro Toronto and Toronto waste. Closed in 2002.
*
Beare Road Landfill - former Metro Toronto landfill from 1967 to 1983 located in Scarborough.
*
Brock Road Landfills - former landfill used by Metro Toronto from 1975 to 1990s in neighbouring communities of Pickering and Ajax.
By the late 1980s and 1990s the locate site were near capacity forcing authorities to look beyond for landfill to take their waste:
*
Adams Mine
Adams Mine is an abandoned mine, abandoned open pit mining, open pit iron ore mine located in the Boston Township, Ontario, Boston Township of the District of Timiskaming, south of Kirkland Lake in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canad ...
- former iron ore pit mine that was slated to take Toronto waste in the 1990s, but rejected by then Metro Toronto council.
*
Green Lane landfill - landfill near
London, Ontario
London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...
and purchased by Toronto in 2006 to handle waste from the city.
*
Carleton Farms Landfill - landfill in
Wayne County, Michigan
Wayne County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of 2020, the United States Census placed its population at 1,793,561, making it the 19th-most populous county in the United States. The county seat is Detroit. The coun ...
that accepted Toronto's garbage from 2002 to 2006.
See also
*
Nine Dragons Paper Holdings Limited
Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) Limited, operating as ND Paper in the United States () is a publicly listed paper manufacturing company in Mainland China, engaging in the manufacturing of containerboard products which include linerboard, duplex boa ...
- paper recycler in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
that has accepted recycled paper collected from
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
.
*
Garbology
Garbology is the study of modern refuse and trash as well as the use of trash cans, compactors and various types of trash can liners. As an academic discipline it was pioneered at the University of Arizona and long directed by William Rathje. The ...
*
Historical digging
In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...
*
Dump digging
Dump digging is the practice of locating and excavating old garbage dumps with the intent of discovering objects which have potential value as collectibles or antiques. These dumps are sometimes centuries old, but often date to the late 19th centur ...
*
Landfills in the United States
Municipal solid waste (MSW) – more commonly known as trash or garbage – consists of everyday items people use and then throw away, such as product packaging, grass clippings, furniture, clothing, bottles, food scraps and papers. In 2018, ...
References
{{Toronto
Landfills in Canada
Municipal government of Toronto