Green Bin program’s second phase launched with Amherstburg included
- Ron Giofu
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
The regional Green Bin program is moving into its second phase and it involves the three remaining municipalities not yet in – including Amherstburg.
Green bins will be distributed in September to homes in Amherstburg, Kingsville and Leamington with Cathy Copot-Nepszy, manager of waste diversion with the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority (EWSWA) stating deliveries will start in Leamington in the middle of the month and work their way west towards Amherstburg.
“We’ll be starting phase two Sept. 14,” said Copot-Nepszy. “Amherstburg should see bins delivered before the end of September.”
Copot-Nepszy said the program is geared mainly for expired food, bones, seafood shells and items of that nature. According to the EWSWA website, food waste could include fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy products, bread, cereal, pasta, noodles, rice, eggs, baked goods, candy, dry baking ingredients, herbs spices, nuts, seeds, lentils, beans, coffee filters, grounds, paper tea bags, fats, oils, and grease.
Other organics accepted as part of the program are compostable bags, soiled food paper packaging, paper egg cartons and trays, wooden utensils and toothpicks, house plants without pots or soil, pet food as well as human and pet hair.
Instructions and guidelines will accompany the green bins, once delivered, Copot-Nepszy indicated.
The intent of the program is to divert organic waste away from the regional landfill, she added, and there were 9,000 metric tonnes of organic waste diverted from the landfill in the first year from the initial wave of municipalities involved in the program.
That figure is consistent with what EWSWA had predicted.
“We’re in line with that and we’re very pleased,” said Copot-Nepszy. “We’re really happy with that.”
Items in green bins are pre-screened to take out “odd” materials that are placed in them, she added, then sent to Seacliff Energy Corporation where it is converted into liquid fertilizer for the agricultural industry. Some of it is also converted into thermal and electric energy and sold back to the grid.
Copot-Nepszy added there are few, if any, concerns through phase one about smells or rodents, adding people are asked to throw out food waste as they usually do, just using the green bin instead of their garbage can. There have been instances were green bins have had to be replaced due to such things as squirrels chewing on the lids, but there is a replacement program for the bins through EWSWA.
Green Bin program’s second phase launched with Amherstburg included
By Ron Giofu
Comments