[greenyes] City of Toronto 100% diversion plan

[Mary Appelhof <mappelho@no.address>]

> Rod Muir shared with us links to the City of Toronto's plan to
> achieve 100% diversion from (Michigan's!) landfills by 2010 and I
> encourage people to take a look.
>
> "The plan outlines the steps required to achieve 100% diversion from =
> landfill before 2010, 9 years, at time of publication (June '01)
>
> The summary of recommendations - 47 in 16 categories, is found at
> the end of the
main report and is I my estimation the most important component of the report."


Goeff Rathbone, Director of Policy and Planning for the Solid Waste
Mgt Division, City of Toronto, was a featured speaker at the Michigan
Recycling Coalition conference last week. As someone who has spouted
off more than once about "Why should Michigan landfills have to be
taking in trash from Canada?"  I was very impressed with the steps
Toronto is taking, particularly with organics. What most amazed me is
the number and types of things people can put into their 45 liter (11
gal) wheeled green cart. Of course, the obvious fruit and vegetable
waste, coffee grounds, etc. But also meat and fish. And, get this,
pet waste, kitty litter, and diapers!  I couldn't believe it! I might
subscribe to collection service if they'd take our kitty litter
waste! It obviously doesn't go into my worm bin. (You knew I had to
get a worm in there somewhere, didn't you?)

The material is being processed in an anaerobic digestion facility
that uses hydropulping to break up the plastic bags that go into the
containers. (People can place their organics into the cart in plastic
bags which reduces odors and slop, saves cleaning the cans. But they
don't use these carts for excess plastic bags.)  Once the bags are
broken in the hydropulping vat they rise to the top and are removed.
The solids from the anaerobic digestion are moved to another site
where they are aerobically composted.

I want to learn more, but it blew my mind. I took back some of my bad
thoughts about what Toronto is doing with their trash!

Mary Appelhof
--
Mary Appelhof, Author of "Worms Eat My Garbage"
Flowerfield Enterprises,10332 Shaver Road,Kalamazoo, MI 49024 USA
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