By: Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press
Council for the County of Essex approved a 2.1% increase for the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority’s (EWSWA) 2026 tax rate, and its Operational Plan, during the December 17 meeting.
The increase – equating to $326,390 (of which $149,040 will be attributed to the seven County municipalities and $177,350 to the City of Windsor) – is due to an increase in the fixed amount assessed to municipalities based on population.
The EWSWA 2026 Budget also includes keeping the per-tonne fee assessed on refuse delivered for disposal the same as the 2025 rate, which was $43.
EWSWA’s General Manager, Michelle Bishop, explained that as a result of the launch of the Green Bin organics collection program in Windsor and some County municipalities in the fall, the municipal tonnages are projected to decrease from 109,900 tonnes in 2025 to 99,260 tonnes in 2026. That is a 3,400 tonne decrease from the County and 7,240 tonne decrease for the City of Windsor. This is anticipated to result in a year-over-year decrease of $457,520 ($146,200 to the County and $311,320 to the City of Windsor) in the municipal tipping fees at the 2026 rate of $43 per tonne.
The 2.1% increase follows the 4.1% increase that was adopted for seven consecutive years. EWSWA’s annual increase began in 2018, with a 2% increase. The 4.1% increase was planned until 2027, with an aim to obtain a balanced budget that year.
A 2018 resolution notes the EWSWA Board acknowledge the built-in budget pressures due to increasing debenture payments and other non-discretionary costs. The idea was to work towards a sustainable, balanced budget over a ten-year period, while maintaining appropriate reserve funds and avoiding significant spikes in tipping fees.
The plan included the transition of the Blue Box program to the producers, and explicitly excluded the cost increase that would be borne when the Green Bin program was rolled-out, Bishop explained to County Council. That is because the financial forecast was completed before any approvals were made regarding the Green Bin program.
EWSWA’s Board of Directors was presented with recommendations drafted from its Administration to created a budget for 2026 that was slightly lower than the traditional 4.1%, with the rationale being to acknowledge that even though the Authority missed the mark on revenue. It was believed that could still be absorbed by pushing out that balanced budget for one more year, but allowing a little bit of a buffer for the municipalities because of the increase in the Non-Eligible Sources costs.
There were some material changes in 2025, Bishop noted. While the cost was significantly increased for greenhouse materials, there was a decrease in the volume of such material delivered.
While that is a good news item for the landfill, as there was fewer organic material delivered that generates greenhouse gases and creates leachate, it does, however, have an impact on the bottom line of EWSWA’s revenue, Bishop explained.
As the majority of the Blue Box Program has been directed to be producer-responsible instead of municipal, Kingsville Deputy Mayor Kim DeYong said she is being asked by residents why there isn’t any savings.
Bishop explained the biggest aspect of the Blue Box program was the ability to off-set the program cost. The biggest cost was its bi-weekly collection. The cost to collect the material was significantly cheaper than the Green Bin Program or traditional garbage.
The cost is offset in two ways: the sale of the recyclable materials, which there was a volatility to the amount of revenue earned. That volatility was off-set by the producers. The producers now are responsible for the program.
There is a cost to collect and a cost to process the material. Since 2021, there have been inflation increases. In 2022, commodity prices began to decrease. The Board decided to blend that out, instead of passing temporarily large increases of $2-$3M onto regional residents. They knew the program was going to be transitioned to producer-based. That was able to happen because of surpluses in the past from the sale of the material.
In answering Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy’s question on how the Green Bin Program is going, Bishop noted it is at around 27% participation. The goal is to reach 40% after the first year. More participation is noticed every week.
“The residents using the program are doing a brilliant job at it. They are very, very methodical of what goes in and what doesn’t go in,” Bishop said. There is around 3% contamination noticed, which is much lower than the 10% noticed in the Blue Box program.
Further Bondy asked about the excess Blue Boxes no longer needed, as the producer-based program delivered larger blue boxes for its program. Bishop noted EWSWA Board received information at its December meeting that it is in discussion with Circular Materials to provide a take-back program for obsolete bins. She suspects there will be information provided to residents mid-January that residents can surrender their obsolete bins at one of the three EWSWA locations over a three-month period, including at the Regional Landfill, free of charge. From there, Circular Materials will recycle them.
Green Bin Program update
Essex County Council also received an update on the Green Bin Program.
The Green Bin program provides weekly curbside organics collection to single-family residences and multi-residential buildings with six-units or less across Essex County and Windsor, with Phase 1 service launched in October 2025 for Essex, Lakeshore, LaSalle, Tecumseh, and Windsor.
Amherstburg, Kingsville, and Leamington will join the program in the fall of 2026 as part of Phase 2, due to the timing of the ending of their garbage contracts.
EWSWA is rolling out the program, while the County is responsible for coordinating funding and billing through local municipal tax bills.
Phase 1 residents will see the first charge on their final 2026 tax bill, typically issued in June, Melissa Ryan, Director of Financial Services/Treasurer, said. That will cover around 15-months of service.
The fee will appear as a separate line item labeled “CTY Bin.” Only households who receive the service are charged. It includes fixed program costs and tonnage costs. Participation is mandatory for residential and multi-residential dwellings under six-units.
Phase 2 municipalities will follow the same structure in 2027.County Council was also presented the 2026 Green Bin Program funding model for the City of Windsor and County of Essex at full cost recovery. This cost equates to $19,878,000 and is comprised of two components.
The first is $135 per-tonne fee assessed on Green Bin material delivered for processing totalling $1,807,000 ($671,800 assessed to the County of Essex and $1,135,200 assessed to the City of Windsor) delivered to Seacliff Energy. It also includes a fixed cost assessed based on the number of households receiving collection per household totalling $18,071,000 ($7,104,410 assessed to the County of Essex and $10,966,590 to the City of Windsor).
Kingsville Mayor Dennis Rogers said legislation does not require the program be open to commercial and multi-residential above six-units. He said those are the largest producers of organic waste. He asked what is stopping the County from having a program that includes them.
Bishop responded that when the RFP was issued for Green Bin material collection, it included asking for pricing for schools and multi-residential, so the County can add it in if desired. The focus now is to get Phase 2 launched. That is something that can be followed-up in the future.
