Toronto is facing a looming waste management crisis, as its primary landfill site, the Green Lane Landfill, approaches its maximum capacity. The city-owned landfill, operational since 2007, is struggling to manage the growing waste output generated by Toronto’s increasing population.

City officials have expressed concerns about the need for a revised long-term waste management strategy. To help with the development of this strategy, the city is seeking public input through a series of consultations. The urgency of these consultations is underlined by the fact that the Green Lane Landfill is expected to reach capacity by 2035.

In 2016, the city updated its waste management strategy and was warned of the impending capacity issue with its landfill site near St. Thomas, Ontario. The city’s website states that the lifespan of a landfill depends on the rate of waste disposal. As such, less waste produced equates to less waste management needed. However, a growing population and constant waste production levels indicate that the Green Lane Landfill will soon be an insufficient option.

The city has attempted to extend the landfill’s lifespan. In a 2023 report, city staff mentioned renegotiating the contract with the landfill’s operator to reduce the amount of waste sent to the site without additional costs. They have also renegotiated waste compaction requirements and negotiated extensions for alternate landfill disposal contracts, allowing some of the city’s waste to be redirected to other Ontario landfills.

However, these measures are only short-term solutions. According to the report, “The urgency to secure and/or establish long-term disposal capacity is increasing as the City’s only operational landfill, Green Lane Landfill, has a limited remaining lifespan.”

Building a large landfill within the city’s borders is not a feasible solution due to space constraints and the time required for construction. Additionally, a 2021 provincial study found that Ontario will exhaust its landfill capacity by 2034. The study also found that about 30% of the province’s waste is exported to Michigan, New York State, or Ohio. Any unforeseen changes in these arrangements could put further pressure on Ontario’s landfill capacity.

Additionally, new regulations introduced by the province in 2020 restrict new landfill development. Any potential builder must receive approval from the host city and municipalities with residential land within a 3.5-kilometer radius of the proposed landfill site.

As Ontario municipalities face similar challenges in securing long-term waste management capacity, the waste landscape in Ontario is expected to become more scarce, competitive, and costly.

The city is currently collecting public feedback on its long-term waste strategy. An online survey is available until December 20th, and there will be a public drop-in event at St. Paul’s Bloor Street on Tuesday, from 2 to 8 p.m. Eastern. There will also be two virtual public consultations on Thursday from 2 to 3:30 p.m., and December 11 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Understanding and addressing these waste management challenges is crucial, not only for Toronto but for all Ontario municipalities. The situation underlines the importance of waste reduction and recycling, as well as the necessity for innovative solutions to manage our waste sustainably.