GUELPH, ON, October 12 – The City of Guelph is applying to the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) to allow the Organic Waste Processing Facility (OWPF) to accept organic waste collected in certified compostable plastic bags.

The City is phasing out the use of regular plastic bags for organic waste collection, in accordance with the OWPF Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) issued by the MOE.  The ECA does not permit the City to process organic waste in plastic or certified compostable plastic bags due to concerns these bags may create anaerobic pockets in the composting process and create odours.

“To comply with the ECA, Guelph is introducing automated waste collection carts for curbside collection over the next three years,” says Dean Wyman, the General Manager of Solid Waste Resources. “Even as we phase out plastic bags, the facility’s odour control systems are performing well and we have not experienced odour issues since re-commissioning in February.”

In Ontario, 62 per cent of municipalities offering cart-based organic waste collection use compostable bags as liners. The City hopes to offer Guelph residents this same option as it transitions to waste collection carts.

If the MOE agrees to amend the ECA, the City will have more opportunities to generate additional revenue by processing organic waste from other Ontario sources currently using certified compostable plastic bags to line their green carts.

Residents can provide comments, by October 19, 2012, on the proposed amendment by mail or email to:

Tesfaye Gebrezghi, P. Engineer
Supervisor, Waste Unit
Environmental Assessment and Approvals Branch
Ministry of Environment
2 St. Clair Avenue West, Floor 12A
Toronto, ON M4V 1L5
Subject: City of Guelph Environmental Compliance Approval (“ECA”) No. A170128
Tesfaye.Gebrezghi@ontario.ca

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Dean Wyman
General Manager
Solid Waste Resources
Planning, Building, Engineering and Environment
519-519-822-1260 x 2053
dean.wyman@guelph.ca