Exact costs for Green Bin program coming to county council later this month

Residents of Essex County will know later this month just how much the organic waste collection’s green bin program will cost.

Amherstburg Deputy Mayor Chris Gibb told the River Town Times last Wednesday night that while the precise cost is not yet known, he estimates it will be about $150 a year per residential household that will be receiving the collection service.

“This is a brand new program for the County of Essex so there are going to be bumps in the road,” said Gibb, during the meeting.

Mayor Michael Prue was absent and there was no Amherstburg alternate attending.

Taxpayers will see a separate line on their tax bill which Gibb says is new.

“The fact that you are paying for the service is an obvious expense but there are going to be savings along the way.”

What those savings will be are not yet determined but the deputy mayor indicated that Amherstburg could be saving up to $35,000 a month by diverting organic waste away from the regional landfill.

“Is it going to cover the extra cost? Probably not,” he said.

Gibb also requested that the county ask the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority (EWSWA) what the cost and pricing structure is with Seacliff Energy which is where the organics will be taken. He noted that recycling materials are sold off at a set cost.

Back in 2022, the county decided that all seven local municipalities would be part of the green bin program although the province only mandated that four – Amherstburg, LaSalle, Tecumseh and Leamington had to participate due to their population size.

Amherstburg residents are expected to get their green bins later this year.

It was determined by county council that all, including Essex, Kingsville and Lakeshore would also be part of it.

One of the delegates presenting to council on Wednesday was Carolyn Crankshaw of McGregor who said she was representing hundreds of county residents who had numerous questions about the green bin program.

“This is not against the organics collection program, this is just about transparency, fairness and correcting decisions that were made without proper public awareness or options for residents who can’t use the service,” said Crankshaw.

County resident Tim Vickerd questioned council as to why a contract to collect the bins was awarded for seven years when it was not known if the program would be successful.

“You would have been better served asking the people if they wanted to use the program instead of forcing it on us,” said Vickerd.

Ryan McNamara of Lakeshore questioned the urban-rural divide and why those living in rural areas have to participate. He did acknowledge that the program would save space at the landfill.

Information presented last week indicates that the landfill could reach capacity by 2040 and the cost to replace it, and legacy costs are expected to top $500 million.

In her report to county council, director of financial services/treasurer Melissa Ryan noted that the county provided residents with Frequently Asked Questions which said – “this program is here to stay and will have tremendous environmental and economic benefits, including extending the life of the regional landfill.”

Essex Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley sits on the EWSWA board and reiterated that the county made the decision to go ahead with the program back in 2022 and at that time the cost was not known.

“Making the decisions without having all the facts is difficult,” admitted Shepley.

County administration will present a bylaw at its next meeting Feb. 18, which will outline the actual cost to each of the individual municipalities.

There could be some additional information coming as Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy’s notice of motion was passed by county council. It called for Essex County council to direct administration to request that the EWSWA provide available statistics to date on the effectiveness of the program in each of the county’s seven local municipalities; available statistics to date on the effectiveness of the program in urban areas and in rural areas.

Details of the public education campaign to date for the Program and details of future planned public education campaigns and details about the cost of the green bin program to each of the seven county municipalities are also part of the motion.

Exact costs for Green Bin program coming to county council later this month

By Fred Groves