By: Matt Weingarden, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeshore News Reporter
LaSalle joins Essex-Windsor Green Bin rollout to boost sustainability
The Essex-Windsor region is set to launch its Green Bin program, aimed at promoting sustainable waste management by encouraging residents to divert food waste from landfills.
Starting the week of July 21 and continuing through early October, nearly 120,000 Green Bin kits will be delivered to single-family homes included in the 2025 program. Each kit contains a 120-litre Green Bin, a seven-litre kitchen catcher (made in Canada), a how-to guide, a sample compostable bag and a coupon.
Residents can check the delivery schedule for their municipality or zone at www.ewswa.org, which will be updated regularly. They can also download the Recycle Coach app to receive notifications about delivery and the weekly collection schedule, which begins the third week of October.
Each Green Bin will feature a “Welcome” sticker on the lid. Residents are asked to write their address in the space provided, as each bin is scanned and linked to the home for the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority’s (EWSWA) Green Bin Repair and Request program. The system will track issues related to repairs, warranties and requests for bins at new builds.
Starting the week of Oct. 21, phase one of the program will offer weekly curbside collection of food waste and organics in Windsor, Essex, Lakeshore, LaSalle and Tecumseh. Phase two will include Amherstburg, Kingsville and Leamington, beginning in fall 2026.
Using the Green Bin can reduce household garbage by up to 50 per cent. It also helps create renewable energy and fertilizer, cuts greenhouse gas emissions, extends landfill life and reduces long-term costs.
Residents are encouraged to place organic food waste such as fruits and vegetables, meats, dairy products, coffee grounds and paper products with food residue into the bin. Other acceptable items include dryer lint, hair and dead houseplants.
According to Cat Griffin, communications co-ordinator for EWSWA, each bin features a gravity lock that keeps pests out and automatically releases when the bin is lifted and tipped for collection.
Only the EWSWA Green Bin will be serviced during collection this fall, emphasizing its role in managing organic waste. Deliveries will occur Monday through Friday. If a scheduled date falls on a holiday, it may change. Residents are advised to check for updates regularly. Organics will not be collected from multi-residential buildings with seven or more units.
Griffin said all Windsor-based food waste and organics will be transported to a transfer station before being moved daily to Leamington for processing and conversion into liquid fertilizer.
“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,” she said. “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.”
LaSalle Mayor Crystal Meloche said the Green Bin program marks an important step forward for Windsor and Essex County. While it may take some adjustment, she believes it aligns the region with other Ontario municipalities that have successfully diverted organic waste for years.
“The Green Bin program is about more than just waste diversion — it’s about long-term sustainability,” Meloche said. “By reducing what we send to the landfill, we cut greenhouse gas emissions, protect the environment and we’re also being fiscally responsible. Every tonne we keep out of the landfill extends its lifespan and helps delay costly expansion or the need for new waste sites.”
“It’s a provincially mandated program, but also a smart, responsible move for both our environment and our economy. It’s about doing what’s right today to avoid much higher costs tomorrow — and to leave a cleaner, greener community for the next generation. I’m confident our residents will embrace this new habit, and over time, it will become second nature — just like blue bin recycling did years ago.”
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