'Food Waste Is Too Good To Waste': Slogan selected for new 2025 Green Bin Program

A slogan has been chosen for the new Green Bin Program that is slated to rollout across Windsor and Essex County starting in 2025.

"Food Waste Is Too Good To Waste - Green Bin It!" was revealed as the winning selection on Wednesday after the Essex Windsor Solid Waste Authority (EWSWA) invited residents to submit suggestions this past spring.

"Give Food Waste A Chance - Green Bin It" was the other final option narrowed down from hundreds of slogan suggestion submissions.

EWSWA officials said 1,131 votes were cast by residents, noting this was a way to engage the community ahead of the provincially mandated green bin program launch.

The first phase of the Green Bin Program is expected to launch in the City of Windsor in Fall 2025, along with Essex, Lakeshore, LaSalle and Tecumseh.

Amherstburg, Kingsville and Leamington are currently scheduled to launch in 2026/2027 as a result of direction from the County of Essex.

EWSWA Board Vice Chair Gary McNamara said organic waste removal from regular garbage collection is expected to reduce household waste by over 48 per cent.

McNamara said the program is expected to cost taxpayers about $3 per household, noting EWSWA will provide the green bins and a sink catcher to residents.

"It's doing the right thing," McNamara said. "It's eliminating gas producing material in the landfill and increasing the life of it and using that resource to turn it back into soil,"

McNamara said switching over to organic waste collection through the green bin program will extend the life of the local landfill.

"Almost 50 per cent of households' waste is actually organic material and we can use that resource to compost it," he explained. "We can do many other things as well but the greatest thing is reducing the amount of greenhouse gases, especially methane gas. This is what produces it in the landfill and [green bins] give life to the landfill."

"The change is positive for the environment and cost effective. To site landfill today, you're probably looking upwards of $300 million. So when you look at it as a taxpayer, it makes sense for us to do this."

"But, 2025 is around the corner," he continued. "So, it gives us an opportunity now to reach out to the public and get them motivated and pumped up about the program."

"You're going to get used to seeing that slogan again and again," said EWSWA General Manager Michelle Bishop.

"Initially, the slogan came from just random submissions from residents and schools throughout Windsor-Essex. We received hundreds of submissions."

Bishop said, "This is really our first steps in getting residents excited and then also an opportunity to educate them that there's going to be changes coming."

"Residents are used to sorting their blue box material already, but everything else that doesn't go in the blue box traditionally goes into the garbage container. And this is further getting more material out of that garbage and ultimately out of the landfill."

Food scraps accepted in the green bin

• Baked goods, candies
• Bread, cereal, pasta, noodles, rice, beans, grains
• Coffee filters & grounds, paper teabags
• Dairy products, including milk, yogurt, butter & cheese
• Dry baking ingredients, herbs, spices
• Eggs, eggshells
• Fats, cooking oils, & food grease (liquid or solid)
• Fruits & vegetables (cooked or raw, including peels, scraps and pits)
• Meat, giblets & bones, seafood & shells
• Nuts & seeds
• Salad dressing, mayonnaise, gravy, & sauces

"The list really goes on and on," Bishop stated. "So there really won't be a lot of material left in your traditional garbage once this program rolls out."

You can learn more about the program on EWSWA's website.