Chatham-Kent Organic Waste Diversion Program

Ontario’s Food and Organic Waste Policy Statement mandated Chatham-Kent to reduce food and organic waste from urban settlements by 50% by 2025. With Ontario’s landfill capacity projected to be exhausted by 2032 and Chatham-Kent’s waste generation on the rise, the Waste Management Team is undertaking a feasibility study of a comprehensive organics diversion program for Chatham-Kent. This study was approved by the Council in August 2022.

The Organic Waste Diversion Program Feasibility Study includes:

1. A Curbside Organic Waste Collection (Green Bin Program),
2. Non-curbside Food Waste Diversion Options, and
3. An enhancement to the Leaf and Yard Waste Collection Program.

Refer to the Report to Council Organic Waste Diversion Program Overview in “Key Documents”. The above initiatives will reduce the amount of waste going to landfills and turn organic waste into valuable end products to support healthy soils and environment.

We aim to create a program that meets the unique needs of the Chatham-Kent community, and we are seeking your input on its design and implementation.

1. About the Green Bin Program:

If implemented each participating household or business will:

• Use an 80–100-liters organic cart to store food scraps and organic materials for collection at the curb.
• Utilize kitchen containers indoors and empty their contents into the organic cart. These kitchen containers may be used with or without liners.

Collection Schedule: Once the program is implemented,

• Organic Containers will be collected weekly.
• Garbage Containers will be collected bi-weekly (every other week).

Acceptable Items: The following items are planned to be included in the Green Bin Program:

• Food Waste: Fruit and vegetable peels, meat scraps, bones, nuts, etc.
• Coffee grounds, coffee filters, and tea bags
• Oils, grease, and fats
• Eggshells, nutshells
• Non-recyclable food-soiled paper
• Pet food

Project Timeline:

2. About Non-Curbside Organic Waste Diversion Options:

The Municipality wants to understand the need for providing solutions to non-curbside residents for organic waste diversion. Based on the feedback collected, administration may recommend solutions for Council’s approval.

3. About Leaf and Yard Waste Collection:

Currently, Chatham-Kent serves eight communities with curbside Leaf and Yard Waste Collection. The Municipality is reviewing options for an expanded curbside yard waste collection service.

Your feedback is crucial in shaping the Organic Waste Diversion Program to ensure it effectively meets the community's needs. Final specifications will be determined based on public consultations.

Thanks to everyone who participated in our recent public engagement survey. Your input is invaluable to us and will greatly assist in our decision-making process. Please note that the survey is now closed. We are in the process of analyzing the responses and will share the results soon.

In the meantime, we encourage you to continue the conversation in the forum section. Your thoughts, ideas, and perspectives are always welcome and appreciated.