Ontario considers disposal ban on organic waste
By Canadian Press.
TORONTO -- From coffee grounds, to leftover fettuccine alfredo, to the slimy, brown head of lettuce forgotten at the back of your fridge, the Ontario government is aiming to keep all organic waste away from landfills.
It's an ambitious target for a province that generates nearly 12 million tonnes of waste a year -- more than 850 kilograms per person -- and only recycles about a quarter of that amount.
If improvements aren't made, the province's landfills could run out of capacity within the next 20 years, the government warns.
In 2004, the Liberal government promised to boost the rate of waste diversion -- through recycling and composting programs for example -- to 60 per cent in four years. But 13 years later, the rate hasn't changed. Now, the government has set its sights on an even more distant target of 100 per cent.