Waterloo Region’s landfill is quickly filling up, and a solution to that problem has to be created in the next 15 years.
After considering an “energy from waste” facility, a trash incinerator that would produce power, the Region of Waterloo rejected the idea.
The region's planning and works committee decided it was better to wait to commit to expense, which is estimated at up to $600 million. The decision was made to focus on diverting waste from the landfill instead.
In an attempt to reduce the amount of garbage going to the current landfill, time and money will be allocated to promoting the use of green bins. Green bins are used to remove organic kitchen scraps from a household’s garbage, much the same way blue bins are utilized to keep recyclable items from becoming landfill.
Officials say more than half of residential garbage is food waste which is meant for green bins, but more often than not the bins are not being used.
As another move to reduce trash, next March garbage pickup in the region will be reduced from weekly to every two weeks. A limit of four bags per household will be introduced. Green bins will continue to be picked up every week.
