Connecting with the Region
with Regional Councillor Bruce Garrod
Where does your garbage go?
In the last edition of “Connecting with the Region,” a myth related to waste management was busted. The article provided clarity about the importance of separating green bin waste from material that could not be composted or recycled. It’s now widely recognized the green bin program has been expanded from being primarily focused on kitchen waste, to now including pet waste, kitty litter, hygiene products and even diapers. The result is a significant reduction of material in our garbage bins.
The Durham York Energy Centre.
But what actually happens each week when a large, noisy, and often pungent truck come to our homes? Since waste management is managed by Durham Region (not Uxbridge Township), I turned to one of my contacts in regional Public Works for answers.
Let’s start with some startling facts. According to the most recent online reports, the following is approximately what is collected in a year:
• 123,000 tonnes of household garbage is picked up in Durham Region. Of that, 2,500 tonnes come from Uxbridge.
• 33,000 tonnes of organics was collected (prior to expanding the program). Of that, 900 tonnes came from Uxbridge.
• 25,000 tonnes of yard waste is collected and redirected from main-stream garbage - 1,000 tonnes locally
• 37,000 tonnes of recycling was collected, 1,100 tonnes of which came from Uxbridge.
Recycling is no longer managed by the Region. A company called Circular Materials is now responsible for collection.
On average, in 2022, a Durham Region resident produces 210kg (463 pounds!) of garbage and organics. But where does it all go?
A facility, jointly owned by Durham and York Regions (roughly 80 per cent/20 per cent) is located at 1835 Energy Drive in Courtice. The road name provides a giant hint of what happens as 24 trucks arrive each day. The facility is called the Durham York Energy Centre (DYEC) and performs what is commonly referred to as EFW - Energy From Waste.
EFW is a highly technical process that takes garbage and burns it at extremely high temperatures (greater than 2,000°C). The resulting heat produces steam, which turns a turbine generator to produce electricity. After the garbage is completely burned, metal can be recovered and recycled from the ash that remains, reducing the need to mine raw materials to make new products.
Modern EFW facilities differ from incinerators of the past, which were designed to do one thing – reduce the volume of garbage requiring disposal. Garbage was processed using uncontrolled burning with minimal to no air pollution control systems. They did not recover energy or any other value from the garbage material. In contrast, modern EFW facilities burn garbage in a highly controlled and efficient combustion system, recover energy and metals from the combustion process and are equipped with proven air emission control technologies that reduce emissions to safe levels in accordance with strict regulatory requirements. The EFW process reduces the volume of residential garbage by approximately 90 per cent. The residual ash is transported to landfill where it is used beneficially as daily cover in place of soil.
I had the good fortune of touring this impressive facility. A virtual tour is available at durhamyorkwaste.ca, or the site will be open for tours on Oct. 25, and Nov. 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
DYEC does not, however, have infinite capacity, which is why redirecting as much waste through the organics and recycling programs is so important. Given that Durham Region is trending to doubling its population within 30 years, the criticality of efficient waste management is growing. This begs the question - what happens to the organics?
Durham Region is processing all green bin materials at an existing anaerobic digestion (AD) facility in Leamington, Ontario. It was chosen through a competitive procurement process. AD is the preferred solution for Durham Region due to its many benefits, including the production of renewable natural gas (RNG) and fertilizer.
Redirecting organics from the DYEC will help delay the need for expanded capacity. Perhaps even more important is the prevention of simply dumping organics in landfill. Decomposing food has serious environmental consequences: it contributes to 19 per cent of Ontario's methane emissions. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Finally, you may think the free compost events held in town distribute material that comes from the organics program, but it does not! Compost giveaway events distribute compost that is produced from the leaf and yard waste program.
Thank you to Uxbridge residents who are committed to helping the environment by maximizing the use of green bins and reducing and recycling as much as possible.