Green Bin Program / 2025 and Beyond

The EWSWA is looking to launch a new Green Bin program in fall 2025. The Green Bin Program will launch in the City of Windsor, and the following County of Essex municipalities in 2025: Essex, Lakeshore, LaSalle and Tecumseh. Amherstburg, Kingsville and Leamington are currently scheduled to launch in 2027 as a result of direction from the County of Essex.

The EWSWA will update this page as more information about Green Bin program is confirmed. Stay tuned!

What Is A Green Bin Program?

Green Bin Program Explanation

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 - the cart will be provided by the EWSWA.

Organic materials such as food scraps, spoiled food, and soiled paper(from food) can make up nearly half of our residential garbage by weight. Using your Green Bin by properly sorting your food waste helps the Essex-Windsor region to:

Reduce greenhouse gases from methane gas that is created when organic material breaks down in our Essex-Windsor Regional Landfill
Turn waste into a new resource that feeds local farms and soils
Extend the life of our Essex-Windsor Regional Landfill by keeping organic materials from unnecessarily taking up landfill space

Acceptable Materials / Green Bin Program

The Green Bins Program will accept a variety of materials including food scraps, "food soiled" paper products and a few other materials.

The use of compostable bag liners is also accepted.

The following food scraps are accepted in the Green Bin:

Baked goods, candies
Bread, cereal, pasta, noodles, rice, beans, grains
Coffee filters & grounds, paper teabags
Dairy products, including milk, yogurt, butter & cheese
Dry baking ingredients, herbs, spices
Eggs, eggshells
Fats, cooking oils, & food grease (liquid or solid)
Fruits & vegetables (cooked or raw, including peels, scraps and pits)
Meat, giblets & bones, seafood & shells
Nuts & seeds
Salad dressing, mayonnaise, gravy, & sauces

The following "food-soiled" paper products are accepted in the Green Bin:

Cardboard egg cartons
Food-soiled paper napkins, paper towel, & tissues (provided it is free of contaminants, such as household cleaners)
Food-soiled paper plates, cups, and muffin wrappers (un-waxed and un-plasticized)
Food-soiled pizza boxes and cardboard
Newsprint, and paper bags (to wrap food and line containers)
Un-plasticized soiled paper food packaging (such as flour bags)
Waxed paper
Wooden stir sticks, chop sticks, popsicle sticks, toothpicks

The following miscellaneous materials are accepted in the Green Bin:

Household plants (including soil) & cut flowers,
Human and animal hair
Pumpkins

Green Bin FAQS

Why is the EWSWA launching a Green Bin program?

The Green Bin program will ensure that Essex-Windsor is complying with Ontario's Food and Organic Waste Policy Statement under Section 11 of the 2016 Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act (collectively "The Organics Provincial Policy Statement" or "OPPS"). The OPPS requires municipalities in Essex-Windsor to achieve specific reduction and recovery target rates by 2025:

City of Windsor: Provide curbside collection of food and organic waste to single-family dwellings in an urban settlement area and to achieve a target rate of reduction of 70%;
Amherstburg, LaSalle, Leamington and Tecumseh: Provide collection (through a public drop-off depot or community composting area or curbside collection) of food and organic waste to single-family dwellings in an urban settlement area and to achieve a target rate of reduction of 50%;
Essex, Kingsville, and Lakeshore: These municipalities are not required to attain specific food and organic waste reduction rates based on their population and population densities.

Does the Green Bin program support Climate Change?

The Green Bin is an important program that supports both the City of Windsor's Corporate Climate Action Plan and the County of Essex Climate Change goals.

Contact Us

Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority
360 Fairview Avenue West, Suite 211
Essex, ON N8M 3G4
Report an Issue
ask@ewswa.org
1-800-563-3377

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