Waste Management Out

Recycling In for Toronto

   In a spectacular reversal, Toronto City Council has voted to "Take Care of our Own Waste." After Waste Management (WMI) rejected the final council Adams Mine rail proposal, Toronto made an about face by "Finding a Made in Toronto Solution. By 2010 they will recycle 100% of their waste! In June 2001 the council approved the "Waste Diversion Task Force 2010 Report." Toronto's decision shuts Waste Management out of business from one of the largest cities in North America.

   In October 2000 the council narrowly voted to approve WMI's  northern Ontario rail plan. But the council placed project liability on WMI. WMI rejected the council offer. Attempts were still being made by February 2001 to resurrect the plan to use the old mine site for the landfill. But in January 2001 the council had created the waste diversion task force which presented its far reaching report in June.

   The ten year waste diversion plan will first concentrate on the organic materials, 40% of the waste stream. It will complete construction of two (maybe three) organics processing facilities which will process 290,000 to 440,000 tons per year. These plants, built by Canada Composting Inc., will be modeled on existing plants in Guelph and Edmonton. Thus by 2006 it will have increased Toronto's percentage recycled from 24% to 61%. Then during the years 2007 to 2009 it will review all existing technologies and build additional plants as required to reach 80% recycling target. Additionally, the Task Force set a goal of 100% diversion by 2010. The task force expects costs to rise to $160 per household per year from the present $91. The cost of keeping the status quo is projected as $158.

   Toronto Mayor and Co-Chair Mel Lastman said, "We need a plan which everyone can buy into so that by 2010 all our waste will be recycled, reused or composted. Task Force 1020 must find a made-in-Toronto solution that demonstrates leadership in waste diversion strategies and new solutions for the 21st century that move beyond the landfilling of garbage." Co-chair Councillor Betty Disero challenged Toronto. "There will be some tough choices for Toronto to make, but at the end of the day, we must become a leader in North America by dealing with this challenge head on." Toronto has become the leader and Waste Management lost a multi-million dollar landfill project!

    Waste Management continues to do business in the suburban and rural areas around Toronto. But it has lost the big prize. The people and the environment have won and strongly support the complete recycling of the waste of Toronto, Canada.

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