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
'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.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
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.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
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.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
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.