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If there’s such a thing as being too successful, then T.O.’s green bin composting program is it. A third of our residential waste is organic, and some 100,000 tonnes of it is collected and turned into compost for gardens annually. Residents flock like ants to the piles of black gold made available free on Environment Days. But we’re already at capacity, trucking our organic waste to Halton and parts beyond (not very eco-friendly) for processing. Our ability to handle the stuff will only be stretched further as the city introduces green bin programs in apartment buildings. Some, like Councillor Gord Perks, think we should be pushing backyard composting to lighten the load on green bins. Eco-activists, worried about the bio-cumulative effects (read toxins) of materials like plastic diapers, kitty litter and bleach-containing paper towels, think the city should be cutting back on what we’re allowing in the containers. Producers of the nasty nappies should go cloth or be forced to take them back.
