The City of Toronto is sending its last load of garbage to Michigan today as its waste disposal contract with the Carlton Farms Landfill expires. Effective January 1, 2011, all of Toronto's waste requiring landfill disposal will go exclusively to the City-owned Green Lane Landfill.
The Green Lane Landfill has been in operation since 1978. In April 2007, the City purchased the site located in Southwold Township in the County of Elgin, southwest of London, about 200 kilometres from downtown Toronto.
Over the years, the Green Lane Landfill site has evolved from a small waste disposal operation to a modern, state-of-the-art facility with onsite treatment of leachate and a methane gas collection and flaring system. Today it is an environmentally sound solid waste disposal facility that meets or exceeds all provincial legislative and regulatory requirements. By 2013, the landfill gas generated and captured at Green Lane Landfill will be sufficient to produce approximately 10 megawatts of electricity, which is to be used to help offset the need for electricity from non-renewable sources.
“I'm pleased that, from this day forward, Toronto will be fully self-reliant to meet its landfill needs for the long term," said Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong (Ward 34 Don Valley East), Chair of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee. "It makes good business and environmental sense for a city the size of Toronto to have its own disposal facility."
It is projected that approximately 793,000 tonnes of waste will be disposed of at Green Lane Landfill in 2011. This includes municipal waste the City collects from residents, commercial establishments, schools and its own operations. Green Lane will continue to generate approximately $1.4 million in revenue from private waste haulers and other municipalities that send their waste there. For example, the City of Toronto currently has disposal contracts with the City of Guelph and the Region of York to use Green Lane Landfill.
Toronto is Canada's largest city and sixth largest government, and home to a diverse population of about 2.6 million people. It is the economic engine of Canada and one of the greenest and most creative cities in North America. Toronto has won numerous awards for quality, innovation and efficiency in delivering public services. Toronto's government is dedicated to prosperity, opportunity and liveability for all its residents. For information about non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can dial 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
