The City of Toronto is considering burning garbage as landfills across the province near capacity, and environmentalists are speaking out against the option.
Last month, the city began seeking the public’s feedback on several waste management options by launching an online survey which included garbage-to-waste (incineration) as one option to explore.
Currently the city sends its garbage to the Green Lane Landfill, but the landfill, as well as many others in Ontario, are expected to reach capacity by 2035, forcing the city to consider other options.
This comes as part of the city’s 2016 Long-Term Waste Management Strategy, and in 2023 the city began working on updating the strategy to anticipate future needs.
Among the options includes continuing to send garbage to other sites, expanding the current landfill site, and burning garbage for energy.
Currently, Peel Region and Durham Region already manage their waste through the use of incineration.
According to the city, energy from waste reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to landfilling, and facilities have systems to manage pollutants and gases to prevent and minimize harmful effects on humans and the environment.
However, the possibility of burning the garbage has been met with negative feedback by local environmental groups who are calling it a “climate disaster.”
The Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) released a statement on its website about the city’s survey, and said the options being put forward will only move the city backwards in terms of climate action and zero waste goals.
“Burning mixed solid waste creates more pollution and carbon emissions than coal or gas energy,” the group said. “Burning garbage creates toxic pollution – and persistent pollutants that escape filters accumulate in soil and plants.”
The group also said expanding facilities is another bad option, and points to the Peel Medical Officer of Health cautioning against expanding the Brampton incinerator due to potentially exceeding safe limits of pollution if more waste is burned.
Instead TEA and other groups are urging the city to invest in options that reduce and divert waste.
“Building an incinerator is like building a coal plant – we shouldn’t be investing in dirty, out-of-date technology when we know we need to build greener solutions,” TEA said.
The city is encouraging people to fill out the survey before the June 29 deadline.
