County moves toward organic recycling program
by Richard Blanchard

Simcoe County council has moved a step closer to expanding its organics recycling program.

Council's Corporate Services committee gave its approval to beginning the process of extending the curbside program which has been in place in Adjala-Tosorontio since September, 2003. County council is expected to give its approval at its meeting next week.

New Tecumseth mayor Mike McEachern urged councillors to begin working on implementing the program. "I really think that we need to look at extending this program and need to begin this process. We must begin the organizational process," he said.

Corporate Services chair Adjala- Tosorontio deputy mayor Doug Little agreed.

"We've got to move ahead and get some information for everybody. We all need the background information," he said.

An accompanying report on the curbside organic recycling noted that diversion from landfill sites had increased significantly in Adjala-Tosorontio with the introduction of the program. Expansion of the organics program countywide is expected to divert 11,000 tons of waste from the county's landfill sites.

The material would be diverted to existing processing facilities outside of the county where initially the costs for processing would be between $90 and $110 excluding trucking costs and household pickup costs.