The Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority has selected a new slogan for the new 2025 Green Bin Program.
They have selected: "Food Waste Is Too Good To Waste - Green Bin It!" as the slogan, which was decided by residents through a survey.
The announcement was made Wednesday afternoon at the Essex County Civic Centre by EWSWA and the Board.
Curbside collection for a Green Bin Program is similar to a Blue/Red Box Recycling Program. Residents will be able to set-out their food waste such as fruit and vegetable skins, meat and chicken, spoiled leftovers, and other food waste in a "Green Bin" cart for collection.
Each residence throughout the region will receive a green bin for this program that will go to the road, and a kitchen catcher for easy access to dispose of scraps.
The green bin will collect anything from coffee filters, cereal, bread, dairy products, eggshells, grease, meat and bones, among much more.
Gary McNamara, Vice Chair of the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority Board, says long-term this will save the landfills.
"If people take the time and look at the benefits of what this will do, they'll see the longevity of the landfill will be saved. And the other thing to remember, and I look at it, is the change is positive for two things: the environment and cost effective."
McNamara says it will be a big change, but it's a necessary change.
"It's easy to just take that potato peels and just throw them into the garbage instead of putting them into the green bin, and making sure you take them out to the curb, but it's adaptable. And I think if people really take the time to see the benefits - they'll understand."
Michelle Bishop, General Manager of the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority, says the list of things that can go into the bin is quite long.
"Tissues, paper towels, your vegetable waste, your vegetable peelings, your meats, your bones, grease, including up to chopsticks, wooden utensils, dryer lint, hair, household plants, the list really goes on, and on."
She says the next step is preparing the public.
"What's going to happen between now and the time the program rolls out is a very strategic and comprehensive public education campaign, so you'll be seeing whether it be in our household mailings, our EnviroTips, through our social media, as well as other traditional media, our Recycle Coach app is really getting people ready for program."
This program will first launch in Windsor, Essex, Lakeshore, LaSalle, and Tecumseh in 2025. At this time it's expected to begin in the third-quarter of the year.
Amherstburg, Kingsville, and Leamington will be scheduled to launch in 2027.
This program is to ensure that the Windsor-Essex region is complying with Ontario's Food and Organic Waste Policy Statement, which requires municipalities to achieve specific reduction and recovery target rates by 2025.