The City of Cornwall's Fall Leaf and Yard Waste Collection Program was one of the most successful yet as nearly 344 tonnes of leaf and yard waste was picked up over a five-week period in October and November.

With the spring collection and direct drop-offs factored in, the City collected a total of 907 tonnes of leaf and yard waste in 2011, up from 815 tonnes in 2010. By comparison, a typical 30-foot Cornwall Transit bus weighs 8 tonnes.

"I would like to commend all residents and businesses who participated in this worthwhile program," said Mayor Bob Kilger. "Together, we have diverted a significant amount of organic waste from the City Landfill. This bodes well for the future as we seek to increase Cornwall’s overall diversion rate and extend the life expectancy of our Landfill."

The leaf and yard waste was unloaded at the Landfill site where it will be turned over to create a rich compost material that is offered to residents free of charge for use in their gardens. This helps return the nutrients from the leaves back into the soil, completing nature's own cycle. The compost material is available for pick-up in the spring.

The City of Cornwall is introducing a series of changes to the garbage and recycling program in April 2012, including the implementation of a weekly, single-stream recycling collection process and extension of the Leaf and Yard Waste Collection Program to 16 weeks per year.

"We want to expand the Leaf and Yard Waste Collection Program in both the spring and fall seasons," said Nicole Robertson, Solid Waste Supervisor. "This will provide an even larger window of opportunity for the community to participate in the program."

The new measures are aimed at increasing recycling rates and diverting more material from the Landfill. Specific details of the upcoming changes will be announced early in 2012.

The move to weekly recycling and an expanded Leaf and Yard Waste Program are two of the measures contained in the City of Cornwall's new Solid Waste Management Master Plan. The Master Plan includes a series of recommendations aimed at increasing diversion rates and extending the life of the City Landfill. To view the Master Plan in its entirety, please visit the Environment section of the City website, www.Cornwall.ca.