About Us

Each of the member municipalities in the County operated their own dump site.

The County, acting on behalf of the local municipalities in the County, acquired land in Colchester N. Twp., Gosfield S. Twp. and Maidstone Twp. for the creation of three Regional Landfill sites.

The City of Windsor signed an agreement with the County and the eight County municipalities in the Landfill 3 service area to dispose of their waste at Landfill 3 in Maidstone Township.

The County entered into an agreement with the City of Windsor to create the Essex-Windsor Waste Management Committee (EWWMC). The purpose of the EWWMC was to carry out a Waste Management Master Plan exercise in order to ensure that waste disposal facilities were available in Essex-Windsor in 1992 when Landfill Site No. 3 was scheduled to close.

As a result of Provincial legislation, Essex-Windsor implemented a County wide blue box program as well as several other waste diversion programs.

By-Law 2847 passed by County Council on Sept. 19 whereby the County assumed the following waste management powers from the local levels of government:

• Storage and processing of waste
• Transfer of waste
• Incineration of waste
• Reduction, reuse, recovery & recycling of waste
• Disposal of waste at current and future landfill sites.

Consolidation of the operations of the former Essex County Landfill Department and former Essex County Waste Management department.

• Uniform tipping fee implemented in Essex-Windsor.

Adoption of the Essex-Windsor Waste Management Master Plan.  Recommendations proposed by the Master Plan include the following:

• Expand the blue box program to include multi-family units
• Expand the Essex-Windsor Recycling Centre
• Establish yard waste drop off areas and compost facilities
• Expand waste reduction and reuse programs
• Expand public education

The Master Plan outlines a very simple goal for the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority:

“To encourage reduction and reuse wherever possible, to recycle everything that can be recycled, to compost what is compostable, and to landfill the rest”.

County Council passed By-Law 3129 on May 18, 1994 to enter into an agreement with the City of Windsor to create the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority (EWSWA).

The agreement assigned the following responsibilities to the EWSWA:

• Waste management planning & updating the Master Plan
• Perpetual care of closed landfill sites
• Operation of the Essex-Windsor Regional Landfill
• Operation of all existing and proposed transfer stations
• Operation of two Recycling Centres
• Manage and Administer recycling collection in the County
• Operation of any future 3Rs facilities.

Closing of former Landfill #3 in Maidstone Twp. and the opening of the Essex-Windsor Regional Landfill on the site of former Landfill #1 in Colchester N. Twp.

The first review of the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Management Master Plan. This review identified the following two revisions that qualified the original goals of the Master Plan:

• Increased recycling and composting efforts should be undertaken in the future only if they are feasible.
• The Master Plan diversion objectives should be met as long as the programs and facilities are economically, socially, environmentally and technically sound.

In addition, three alternative waste diversion scenarios for 1999-2003 were presented for consideration to the EWSWA. Scenario 1 was adopted and included the following components:

• All existing waste diversion activities will be maintained
• The current publicity and education program will be expanded and enhanced
• Recycling services will be provided not only in municipal offices, but also in all other municipal properties (i.e. parks) and for all municipally sponsored events
• Recycling will be encouraged/mandated for community events and recreational venues
• Recycling services for small businesses will be reviewed and modified and/or expanded as required to increase diversion in this sector
• Staff efforts in support of IC&I will be increased

EWSWA managed its operations in accordance with its Master Plan and the Essex-Windsor agreement which formed the Authority