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Diversion initiatives
With a population of 2.48 million people, Toronto has one of the highest rates of participation in diversion programs in Canada. Residents in single-family homes are achieving a 59% diversion rate, while those in multi-unit residences (apartments and condominiums) are diverting 15%. Toronto residents are asked to help increase the current overall diversion rate of 44% by participating in the available diversion programs including: Blue Bin Recycling, Green Bin, Household Hazardous Waste Depots, Community Environment Days and composting.

Due to strong participation in the Green Bin Program and the expansion of organics collection to multi-unit residences, Toronto approved building and siting of two new facilities to process Green Bin organic material. One facility will be located at Disco Transfer Station and the other at the Dufferin Transfer Station . Each facility will be capable of processing 55,000 tonnes of organic material bringing the City’s processing capacity within city borders up to 110,000 tonnes a year.

The City of Toronto is pursuing a number of new initiatives to increase diversion rates:

1. Source reduction initiatives (e.g., promotion and education) – 10,000 tonnes
2. Extending the Green Bin Organics to apartments/condos – 30,000 tonnes
3. Education and enforcement of the City’s mandatory diversion by law – 10,000 tonnes
4. Introduction of a volume-based rate structure for multi-residential units and single-family households (property owners pay a fee for the collection of their waste) – 43,000 tonnes
5. Addition of new materials collected in the recycling program (e.g., plastic film) – 6,000 tonnes
6. Replacing of Blue Boxes with Blue Bins increase recycling container capacity – 15,000 tonnes
7. Development of Reuse Centres for the reuse/disassembly and recycling of household durable goods - 44,000 tonnes
8. Curbside townhouse collection, which encourages separation of recyclables (vs. a single collection point) - 16,000 tonnes
9. Processing of mixed waste– 75,000 tonnes.