The landfill site at Green Lane, located southwest of London, Ontario, has been serving as the final resting place for Toronto’s household waste since 2011. Over the course of 2024, an astonishing 420,000 tons of garbage found its way to this site.
Despite these numbers, projections indicate that Green Lane will reach its maximum capacity by 2035, leaving no space for Toronto’s waste. Before the establishment of Green Lane, Toronto used to ship its trash to Michigan. Now, faced with an impending capacity issue, the city is seeking public input on how to manage its garbage in the future.
One proposed solution is to incinerate the waste, converting it into energy through combustion. Sara Little, the manager of Green Lane landfill, explains the process of extracting gas from the waste using pipes and subsequently incinerating it to break down methane into less harmful carbon dioxide.
While a majority of survey respondents support incineration as a solution, environmental advocates, like Emily Alfred from the Toronto Environmental Alliance, highlight concerns about the environmental impact of this approach. Alfred stresses the importance of providing accurate information to decision-makers and the public to make informed choices regarding waste management strategies.
The Toronto City Council is reviewing various waste management options for the future, considering the challenges of finding another Ontario municipality willing to accept Toronto’s garbage. Alfred suggests a shift towards waste diversion practices such as organics recycling and reducing the use of disposable items like coffee cups and takeout containers as more sustainable alternatives.