Green bins will be arriving at some Windsor-Essex homes this month. Here's what you need to know

Green bin collection is slated to begin in parts of Windsor-Essex this fall — but bins will start appearing on the doorsteps of some 120,000 residences starting this month, the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority (EWSWA) says. 

Windsor-Essex is among the last regions of its size in Ontario to implement a food waste and organics program, according to Tecumseh Mayor and EWSWA chair Gary McNamara.

"We're taking advice from consultants that have worked with other [municipal] jurisdictions and applying that here in Windsor-Essex," said McNamara.

Here's what you need to know ahead of collection beginning in October. 

What will be delivered to my home?

Green bin kits will be sent out to homes in Essex, Lakeshore, LaSalle, Tecumseh, and Windsor beginning July 21. In them, residents should place organic food waste — like fruits and vegetables, meats, dairy products, coffee grounds, and paper products with food residue. They can also put dryer lint, hair and dead house plants in the green bin. 

Green bin collection will actually begin the third week of October, even though bins are being mailed out to residents ahead of time. 

The kits will include a 120-litre green bin — which goes curbside for collection when it begins in October — as well as a seven-litre "kitchen catcher." Both are manufactured in Canada, the EWSWA says. 

Amherstburg, Kingsville, and Leamington will get their green bins delivered in the fall of 2026, as collection will begin later next year.

When will bins be delivered?

Green bin distribution will take place throughout July, August and September.

The EWSWA has a full distribution schedule on its website, but Windsor waste collection zone 4A, the Riverside and East Riverside areas, will be first up on July 21. 

What should I do when I get my green bin?

EWSWA says that each bin lid will contain a "welcome" sticker that residents should read ahead of bin storage. 

They ask each recipient to write their address on the space provided, as each green bin is scanned and linked to their address for the "repair and request" program to track issues related to repairs, warranties, and requesting of bins for new homes. 

Bins should be stored and not used for recycling or garbage. 

Where does my green bin waste go and what happens to it?

Heather Taylor is EWSWA's waste diversion specialist. She says that all Windsor-based food waste and organics will be transported to their transfer station, before moving daily to Leamington for processing. 

"[Food waste and organics are] going to make its way down the highway to Seacliffe Energy which is located in Leamington," said Taylor.

"They have an anaerobic digester where your food waste and organics will be turned into digestate, which is a type of fertilizer that will be used on farmers' fields."

Taylor says that anaerobic digestion — the process by which organic materials are broken down by microorganisms in an enclosed vessel in the absence of oxygen — will allow the waste to be used as renewable energy in greenhouses.

EWSWA says they encourage residents to download the Recycle Coach app and request notifications for the green bin program to receive a delivery prompt, and to notify them of their new collection schedule.