Hamilton's Waste Management Subcommittee Reviews 2026-2050 Master Plan

Hamilton's Waste Management Subcommittee reviewed short-term actions under the city's 2026-2050 Solid Waste Management Master Plan, heard a delegation from Envest Corp about a proposed organics processing facility in Southgate, and discussed upcoming decisions on organics capacity, collection contracts, bulk waste, multi-residential garbage carts and special consideration garbage rules.

Topics Discussed

1. SOLID WASTE MASTER PLAN: 11 short-term actions tied to the next collection contract

Staff presented Item 7.1 on short-term action items under Hamilton's 2026-2050 Solid Waste Management Master Plan. Ryan Kent, manager of waste policy and planning, said 11 short-term actions are to be completed by 2030 and that "the information from those projects is required for our next waste collection contract." Staff said decisions on possible automated garbage and green bin collection, and possible bi-weekly garbage collection, need to be made before the next collection contract goes to market in the first quarter of 2027. Annual progress reports are planned over the next five years.

2. ORGANICS PROCESSING: Envest sought long-term municipal contracts for Southgate facility

Jason Moro of Envest Corp presented on anaerobic digestion of source-separated organics. He told the subcommittee, "we are here today to solicit interest for a long-term period with municipalities like yours," and added, "when capacity opens up, what we're finding is strong engagement from municipalities for a long-term relationship."

Moro said Envest's Southgate facility in Dundalk is under construction, is about 25 per cent complete, has permitted capacity of 73,000 metric tonnes annually, and is targeted for commissioning in the fourth quarter of 2027. He said the project received $38.1 million from Natural Resources Canada's Clean Fuels Fund and is co-owned equally by the Missaugas of Scugog Island First Nation and Henry Inlet First Nation. Councillor Matt Francis said the Public Works Committee may be the better venue for a fuller discussion, noting the upcoming organics strategy report.

3. FACILITY OPERATIONS: odor control, traffic and feedstock limits

In questions to the delegate, members asked about operations at the proposed Southgate facility. Moro said the plant is intended for food scraps and kitchen organics rather than leaf and yard waste. He also addressed traffic and odor controls, saying the site design is meant to avoid truck queuing and that odor management is a key consideration because of nearby homes. Kevin Hunt asked about salt in food waste, and Moro said it would have only a minor impact on processing. Councillor Mark Tadeson asked what lessons from the company's Leamington facility had been incorporated into the Southgate design.

4. ORGANICS CAPACITY, BLUE BOX CHANGES AND DIVERSION PROGRAMS

Staff said Hamilton is nearing organics processing capacity limits and will bring an organics strategy report to Public Works Committee in August. Councillor Francis said that timing could align with the Envest proposal, stating, "the organics strategy report is currently scheduled to come back to public works committee in August and so it might be a perfect opportunity to align the item with that report because it's 100% about organics."

Staff also discussed changes to the blue box system under Circular Materials. Heather told members, "when something is included in the blue bin program now in its current form, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's getting recycled," but rather that producers are responsible for managing it. Peter added, "circular materials needs to provide verification that the materials that are getting collected are and you know where they're being sent to."

Members also touched on diversion efforts including repair cafes, reuse events, textile collection events and compost giveaways.

5. COLLECTION PROGRAM REVIEWS: special consideration, bulk waste and multi-residential carts

Staff said households in the special consideration garbage program will have to participate in the green bin program to remain eligible. Staff stated, "Properties that continue to not participate in the green bin program will not be accepted in the following year."

On bulk waste, Jamie said the review found "several challenges including the significant amount of staff time required to operate the program," and added that missed set-outs "resulted in approximately $172,000 in contractor costs in 2025 alone."

The subcommittee also reviewed garbage cart options for multi-residential buildings. Councillor Tadeson asked, "if you live in a detached home, you're accountable by putting one bag at the curb. How do you hold people that live in a multi-used dwelling accountable for only one bag a week?" Mayor Andrea Horwath, speaking to storage constraints in some buildings, said, "a lot of the storage is external at the back of the building, at the side of the building."

Councillor Esther Pauls also pointed to waste composition concerns in multi-residential buildings, noting concerns about pet waste tonnage in these facilities.

Motions

• Item 7.1 - 2026 to 2050 Hamilton Solid Waste Management Master Plan Short-Term Action Items — discussed by the subcommittee. The notes provided do not record a final vote outcome at this meeting.
• No other motion titles or recorded passed, rejected or deferred outcomes were provided in the notes.

Attendees

• Alex Wilson (Vice Chair, chairing in person)
• Matt Francis (Chair, attending online)
• Councillor Mark Tadeson
• Peter Hargreaves
• Kevin Hunt