Waste management rules updated: composting exemptions and biogas definitions now in force

Plain-language summary · AI-assisted · not legal advice

Ontario's general waste management regulation has been updated to bring several previously scheduled changes into the consolidated text. A new exemption from waste disposal site approval requirements now applies to small composting operations at community gardens, allotment gardens, community kitchens, and schools, subject to limits on weekly intake and total capacity. Compost generated at those exempt sites is also added to the list of materials that do not count as waste under the regulation. A definition related to renewable biogas upgrading facilities was already present and remains unchanged. These changes affect anyone operating or planning a small community composting site, as well as facilities involved in biogas production or nutrient management. Operators of qualifying community composting sites should review the specific capacity and intake limits to confirm they meet the conditions for the exemption.

Who this affects: community garden and allotment garden operators · school and community kitchen operators · composting facility operators · biogas and anaerobic digestion facility operators · waste disposal site compliance managers