Residual Waste Disposal Strategy

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To plan for the future, the City is developing a long term Residual Waste Disposal Strategy. The Strategy involves the development of a long-term plan to manage residual waste and involves completion of an Individual Environmental Assessment (EA) as prescribed by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP). The individual EA requires approval by the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks.


To plan for the future, the City is developing a long term Residual Waste Disposal Strategy. The Strategy involves the development of a long-term plan to manage residual waste and involves completion of an Individual Environmental Assessment (EA) as prescribed by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP). The individual EA requires approval by the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks.

  • W12A Landfill Open Houses

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    02 Mar 2020

    The City of London held two open houses on the proposed W12A Landfill expansion in February, 2020.

    Residents who were unable to attend can view the documents displayed at these open houses.

    Download the display boards.

  • What is being proposed?

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    20 Feb 2020

    The Residual Waste Disposal Strategy will include expansion of the City's W12A Landfill. Key elements of the proposed expansion include:

    • find solutions that will manage residual waste until 2049 (25 years beyond the current approved capacity of the W12A Landfill);
    • allow neighbouring municipalities to use any new/expanded waste disposal facilities developed by the City, approved by the Province and under conditions approved by Municipal Council;
    • place limits on the amount of Residual Waste that will be accepted at any new/expanded waste disposal facilities; and,
    • commit to increasing the current London residential (household) waste diversion rate to 60% by 2022 from the current rate of 45%.

  • Background

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    20 Feb 2020

    In the City of London, more than one tonne of waste is produced per person each year. This includes waste generated at home as well as business waste. Much of this waste is diverted through numerous reduction, reuse, recycling and composting programs. The waste that remains is considered residual waste. All the residual waste generated at home and a portion generated by businesses is disposed of at the City’s W12A Landfill along with some waste generated from outside the City. The City’s landfill is expected to reach capacity in 2024.

    Some of the City’s business waste is taken to landfills located outside of the City for disposal.

    Why Waste – Residual Waste Disposal Strategy

    To plan for the future, the City has started development of a long term Residual Waste Disposal Strategy. The Strategy involves the development of a long-term plan to manage residual waste and involves completion of an Individual Environmental Assessment (EA) as prescribed by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP). The individual EA requires approval by the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

  • Terms of Reference

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    20 Feb 2020

    Preparing Terms of Reference

    The first phase in the Environmental Assessment (EA) process is preparation of a Terms of Reference (ToR). The ToR becomes the framework or work plan for carrying out the EA. The steps in preparing a ToR are presented in “The Process” tab and summarized below.

    Develop Proposed ToR

    The Proposed ToR was developed with extensive stakeholder engagement which included open houses, a project website, establishment of a Waste Management Community Liaison Committee, attendance at community events and newspaper and social media advertisements.

    Submit Report

    The Proposed ToR was approved by City Council on October 2, 2018 and formally submitted to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) on October 12, 2018.

    Government Review

    MECP reviews document and seeks comments from stakeholders. The 30 day comment period for stakeholders ran from October 12, 2018 to November 12, 2018.

    The City has the option to amend the Proposed ToR to address comments received during the government review. This took place from December 14, 2018 to February 8, 2019. The Proposed Amended ToR was submitted to the MECP on February 8, 2019. The City also submitted a black-lined copy which shows all the changes that were made to the original Proposed ToR.

    Ministry Decision

    The Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks approved the Amended TOR on July 30, 2019.

    Key Features of the Amended Terms of Reference

    The key features of the Amended ToR are:

    • Expansion of the W12A Landfill is the most appropriate disposal option based on previous waste studies.
    • Add an additional 25 years of capacity to the W12A Landfill.
    • Commitment to increase residential waste diversion from 45% to 60% by 2022.
    • Decrease the maximum amount of waste that can be received in a year from 650,000 tonnes to 500,000 tonnes.
    • Create a regional service area for the landfill.