CORNWALL, Ontario – The City of Cornwall is hoping to keep 50 per cent of all organic waste out of the municipal landfill by 2025.
To do this, the City announced on Tuesday, Nov. 3 that they would be engaging with consultants and the public to determine how best to achieve this goal.
“Our consultants are examining every possibility, and the work has already begun,” said Dave Kuhn, Acting Waste Management Supervisor. “We audited dozens of households this fall to see what they’re throwing away, and what diversion programs they’re participating in.”
The City is also asking residents to sign-up for the Municipal Organics Feasibility Study by emailing organics@cornwall.ca
The Cornwall landfill has around 12 to 14 years worth of life left in it. The cost to close the landfill and maintain the site is estimated at being roughly $38 million, which does not add in the cost of opening a new landfill.
READ MORE: City facing steep costs for landfill closure
In order to buy enough time to save the money to close the landfill, the City of Cornwall is working to divert as much waste from the landfill as possible.
As a part of this initiative, the City implemented a six bag garbage limit in April 2019, and lowered that to four bags in October. The bag limits goal is to encourage residents to reuse and recycle products which will help extent the life of the landfill.
RELATED: City goes with four garbage bag limit, for now
Cornwall’s Environment Division Manager Carl Goodwin explained how composting and creating fertilizer not only will help keep waste out of the landfill, but that it is also good for the environment.
“Regenerative agriculture reverses climate change by rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity. This results in both carbon drawdown and improvements in the water cycle,” said Goodwin.
