Currently, the City sends the majority of its residual waste (garbage) to Green Lane Landfill located just outside of London, Ontario in the Township of Southwold. It is in close proximity to a number of communities, including three First Nations communities: the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, the Munsee Delaware Nation and the Oneida Nation of the Thames. Based on current tonnage and waste volumes, Green Lane Landfill could reach full capacity in 2034 or 2035.
Increased population, economic growth and housing commitments in Toronto mean that the amount of waste that will need to be managed will continue to grow. Even with the implementation of the City’s Long-term Waste Management Strategy and our ongoing waste reduction and diversion actions, planning for Toronto’s long-term waste disposal needs is required.
Long-term availability of landfill space across Ontario is also limited and is expected to reach full capacity within ten years. As the largest municipality in the province, the City needs to secure the best solutions to meet the needs of our growing population while mitigating unnecessary financial risk and environmental and social impacts. Some long-term options could take over a decade to secure due to regulatory compliance and permitting processes.
Council approved the Residual Waste Management Work Plan (Work Plan) in June 2023. The Work Plan provides time to study, develop and operationalize short-, medium- and long-term options to manage Toronto’s residual waste.
Some of the options that are currently being explored as part of the Work Plan are:
As the development of a new landfill is not feasible within the boundaries of Toronto, the City will begin a process to engage, and where there is interest, negotiate with existing private Ontario landfill owners to provide disposal services for Toronto’s residual waste, or to sell an existing private landfill to meet the City’s needs.
The City intends to issue a Request for Expression of Interest (REOI) to municipalities in Ontario to identify their interest in accepting residual waste from the City, selling an existing public landfill to meet the City’s needs, hosting a new landfill or partnering with the City to expand their existing landfill.
The City intends to conduct community consultations on the perceptions related to energy-from-waste as a potential option to manage residual waste. City staff will report back to Council prior to entering into any procurement processes, negotiations or engagements related to the purchase or building of an energy-from-waste facility or partnering with an existing facility.
The City has begun the process to conduct a technical feasibility study to determine whether expansion of Green Lane Landfill is viable. This is the first step in understanding if expansion is a possibility.
Staff will report back to City Council with recommendations informed by the results of analysis related to the options above and seek direction prior to making any long-term decisions.
All options for Toronto’s residual waste disposal will be assessed through an environmental, social and financial lens to examine their potential impacts.