Greening Vaughan (GV) - A Comprehensive Waste Management Plan for the City of Vaughan

The City of Vaughan is launching Phase 2 of its Greening Vaughan (GV) program in November 2006. The GV initiative focuses on diverting waste from landfill, addressing the issues of landfill availability and location, and exceeding the provincial waste reduction target of 60 percent by 2008. The diversion objectives are being met primarily through improved recycling and household organic waste programs implemented in three phases over a two-year period. Phase1 was launched in 2005 and is now a successful component of the current system with recyclables increasing by 55 percent in the first four months. Phase 2 introduces the weekly collection of household organic waste to single-family dwellings. Approximately 91 percent of Vaughan’s residential population lives in homes that receive municipal curbside collection services. The remaining 9 percent live primarily in multi-unit residential dwellings. The City generally does not collect from other establishments. The City’s current diversion rate is 20 percent (2005). A household curbside organics collection program will contribute approximately 30 percent to this rate. Under Phase 3 to be launched in September 2007, collection will be every other week rather than every week, and paid garbage tags will be required for any item over the three-item garbage limit. By 2008, it is expected that the City will meet the 60 percent diversion from landfill target.