Here’s when the rest of Essex County can expect their green bins

Municipalities in Essex County that don't yet have green bins can expect to be brought into the program this coming fall.

Residents in three Essex County municipalities still without compost collection can expect their green bins to arrive starting in September.

Michelle Bishop, general manager of the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority (EWSWA), said deliveries are expected to begin after Labour Day.

“That will ensure that everyone has their bin and they’re ready for their collection to start at the beginning of November,” Bishop said.

Residents in Amherstburg, Kingsville and Leamington — known as the Phase 2 municipalities — will receive weekly green bin collection.

Phase 1 municipalities, including Essex, Lakeshore, LaSalle, Tecumseh and Windsor, have been receiving green bin service since last fall.

As with the initial rollout, Bishop said residents can expect another information campaign about green bins, how to compost and the importance of diverting organic waste to extend the life of the landfill.

“We are looking to not only roll that out again for the Phase 2 municipalities, but also look at what our lessons learned are and where we have opportunities to improve,” she said.

“Where we can maybe hone some of those communication strategies in order to give residents a little bit more information.”

Overall, EWSWA says participation in the program has been strong.

Last week, the authority announced more than 5,000 tonnes of food waste had been diverted so far.

In smaller municipalities such as Kingsville, Essex and Amherstburg, Bishop said each sends about 7,000 metric tonnes of garbage to the landfill each year.

“We’re getting very close to as though one of the municipalities just didn’t bring this garbage all year, so that is something to celebrate,” she said.

Over time, Bishop said she hopes the program will encourage more residents to compost.