News   Feb 06, 2026
The Next Round of Transit in the GTHA: Rapid Transit Everywhere
 20K     4 
News   Feb 06, 2026
Rosehill Tower in Deer Park Topped Off as Cladding Nears Completion
 1K     0 
News   Feb 06, 2026
34-Storey Towers Proposed by Laurier–Waterloo Park ION Station
 2.4K     5 

Toronto Waste Crisis

luxome

luxome

Active Member
Member Bio
Joined
Feb 19, 2009
Messages
517
Reaction score
0
Location
Toronto
As some of you might already know, agreement for Toronto's residential waste going to Michigan ends in 2010. Yet, we do not have a clear solution as to where our wastes will go. This is a serious issue that many politicans try to avoid.

How do you think Toronto should deal with its waste or where the waste should go? Any suggestions/comments?
 
I thought the City of Toronto had purchased a large landfill near London, which could accept the waste.

That said, I agree with incineration as a solution. With current technology, it is perhaps the most environmentally friendly solution. In Peel Region, a large amount of the waste gets incinerated at a facility in Brampton. As far as I know, it works well, without complaints from the public.
 
luxome:

As Obs. Walt already mentioned, the City has been the owner of Green Lane Landfill near Woodstock since 2007; the "crisis" you are proclaiming had been dealt with, with unusual foresight by politicans years ago.

AoD
 
What are the costs of different methods? How much does it cost to dispose of a ton of solid waste in a typical landfill versus an incinerator?

Oohh.... soo European!!!
458px-District_heating_plant_spittelau_ssw_crop1.png
 
Last edited:
AlvinofDiaspar said:
luxome:

As Obs. Walt already mentioned, the City has been the owner of Green Lane Landfill near Woodstock since 2007; the "crisis" you are proclaiming had been dealt with, with unusual foresight by politicans years ago.

AoD
Click to expand...

Foresight in that they dealt with where we'd put our trash.

Hindsight in that it was yet another landfill.
 
Observer Walt said:
I thought the City of Toronto had purchased a large landfill near London, which could accept the waste.

That said, I agree with incineration as a solution. With current technology, it is perhaps the most environmentally friendly solution. In Peel Region, a large amount of the waste gets incinerated at a facility in Brampton. As far as I know, it works well, without complaints from the public.
Click to expand...

Sadly, "large" but, not large enough to last forever.

I wish dealing with waste would be that easy or else i wouldn't be choosing this as my Research Topic. Scholars in the past have argued that Canadians are "the resource bigs of the world", we simply produce too much waste.

Please keep in mind that the waste composition of today is very different than waste produced in the past. Wastes are far more toxic than ever due to the composition of materials usd (e.g., packaging). Building more incinerators will drive the environmentalists nuts and also, the NIMBY syndrome. Now, Toronto is slightly different from Brampton because the amount of waste we generate here in Toronto is far greater than Peel Region.

"Rather than making waste disappear, incinerators create more toxic waste that pose a significant threat to public health and the environment."

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/toxics/incineration/the-problem

Toronto has spent nearly $750 million none of which have long term solution. Peel Region only burn 1/3 of its waste, which is far less than Toronto.
 
Last edited:
AlvinofDiaspar said:
luxome:

As Obs. Walt already mentioned, the City has been the owner of Green Lane Landfill near Woodstock since 2007; the "crisis" you are proclaiming had been dealt with, with unusual foresight by politicans years ago.

AoD
Click to expand...
Sure, for short term.

At the pace we are generating waste today, Greenlane Landfill site will only last between 6 years (worst case scenerio) to 17 years (best case scenerio). Keep in mind that, it can take between 7-10 years to get a site approved to become a Landfill.

Please keep in mind that there is a limitation to landfill sites. Landfill sites do fill up and they do not go anywhere.

Please note that most of the recycling do end up in landfill due to contamination (because people do put in what your not suppose to in recycling bins). Even if recycling is properly used, it'll only reduce our city's waste by 60% (at the most)!
 
Last edited:
luxome:

At the pace we are generating waste today, Greenlane Landfill site will only last between 6 years (worst case scenerio) to 17 years (best case scenerio). Keep in mind that, it can take between 7-10 years to get a site approved to become a Landfill.
Click to expand...

Green Lane is a pre-existing private landfill prior to purchase by the City fo Toronto - there is no need for further EAs or approval from the MOE I believe. Beyond that, where did you get the 6 years from? From what I've heard, it's projected to last about 20 years.

Please note that most of the recycling do end up in landfill due to contamination (because people do put in what your not suppose to in recycling bins). Even if recycling is properly used, it'll only reduce our city's waste by 60% (at the most)!
Click to expand...

Most recycling end up in landfill? I can completely accept that some end up in the landfill for various reasons - but most? Again, where did you get that from?

PS: Greenpeace has done some good work, but to cite them as a definitive source on incineration is a bit of a stretch.

AoD
 
Last edited:
luxome said:
"Rather than making waste disappear, incinerators create more toxic waste that pose a significant threat to public health and the environment."

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/toxics/incineration/the-problem
.
Click to expand...

I'd hardly take Greenpeace as being unbiased in the matter. There are different methods of treating waste in an incineration process. Groups like Greenpeace tend not to make any distinction between them. They oppose incineration. Period. It's hardly a helpful position.
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
luxome:



Green Lane is a pre-existing private landfill prior to purchase by the City fo Toronto - there is no need for further EAs or approval from the MOE I believe. Beyond that, where did you get the 6 years from? From what I've heard, it's projected to last about 20 years.



Most recycling end up in landfill? I can completely accept that some end up in the landfill for various reasons - but most? Again, where did you get that from?

PS: Greenpeace has done some good work, but to cite them as a definitive source on incineration is a bit of a stretch.

AoD
Click to expand...

Approval for new landfill sites.

Toronto claims 13,800,000 tonnes Capacity @ Green Lane

Now, a lot of the numbers are from interviews/discussions with professors and researchers. I'll try to find the sources/links to where i get some of my info once i relocate them (I've spent almost a year on this research)

here's a quick example i found:
the new landfill has an area set aside for other recyclable or reusable items.
Click to expand...
http://www.citypa.ca/TheCity/Departments/PublicWorks/LandfillandRecycling/tabid/195/Default.aspx

waterloowarrior said:
Incinerate.. the EU burns 17% of its waste, Denmark burns 53%!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4622484.stm
Click to expand...
Again, not everything can be incinerated.

Q. How much waste is currently incinerated?

Around 9% of municipal waste in England is currently incinerated.

The south-west has the lowest proportion of incineration, with less than 1% being burned.

The West Midlands burns the most, sending 31% of the region's waste to incinerators.

The vast majority of municipal waste is still sent to landfill sites. Around 72% of the 29.1 million tonnes of rubbish was buried in 2003/04.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top