Pilot project sees Londoners in apartments and condos join green bin organic waste program
Three months after the launch of curbside green bin collection for homeowners, a pilot project will analyze expanding the program to include medium to high-density apartments and condominiums.
“I had residents in apartment buildings asking, ‘What about us? Where do we fit in the solution?’” recalled Coun. Elizabeth Peloza, who attended the launch event at an apartment building in her ward.
Two buildings run by Norquay Property Management, a 137-unit high rise and a 40-unit mid-rise, will be the first in the city to have organic waste collection.
“I have tenants that want to participate, and in a pilot project you want participation,” said Lisa Smith of Norquay Property Management.
Tenants separate organic waste into kitchen containers that can be carried to the parking garage where large green bin ‘carts’ are positioned next to the recycling containers.
“It’s very similar to how people in these buildings recycle now, so we’re mimicking an existing program that is already out there in 900 buildings in London serving about 60,000 units,” explained Jay Stanford, director of Climate Change, Environment, and Waste Management.
Hamilton, Ottawa, and Toronto already have partial programs in place.
The province is targeting waste diversion programs in all residential buildings by the end of 2025.
“Of the amount of waste that comes out of an apartment building, one third of it can go into the green bin,” Stanford said.
As the city’s building boom continues, Peloza suggests the program is a crucial part of London’s strategy to divert 60 per cent of waste away from the W12A Landfill.
“This is a huge piece that we’re rolling out ahead of timelines that are provincially mandated in order to get the program right,” she added.
Landlords who are members of the London Property Management Association are watching the results closely.
“They are very interested in it,” said Smith. “But [they] want to see the pilot project and see [that] any of the kinks get ironed out.”
Building residents and superintendents will be able to provide feedback as part of the pilot project.
“The next couple months, we want to bring on different sizes of buildings in different areas of the city as part of the pilot project to really learn how this program would roll out citywide over the next couple years,” Stanford said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Minister said 'hundreds' of Canadians might use Gaza visa. More than 7,500 applied.
An immigration lawyer in Toronto says new figures from the federal government show just how 'grudging' Ottawa's efforts have been to rescue Canadians' family members from the war in the Gaza Strip.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Florida deputies who fatally shot U.S. airman burst into wrong apartment, attorney says
Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the man's family said Wednesday.
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.