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• What “organic waste” is
• Where organic waste comes from
• How organic waste is used
• How we ensure organic waste is safe to use

What “organic waste” is 

Organic waste is a type of waste that originates from living organisms. It can also be degraded by other living organisms – so we often call this waste “biodegradable.”

Where organic waste comes from 

Organic waste is a significant component of both household and industrial (including commercial and institutional) waste. Here are some examples of each:

Examples of household organic waste	Examples of industrial organic waste
food (cooked or raw)  yard and garden waste (grass, hedge trimmings, leaves etc.) paper wood sewage biosolids from municipal sewage treatment plants	All household organic waste plus… agricultural residue which remains after crops are processed (such as corn stalks, rice husks and foliage) sawdust paper mill biosolids food processing waste brewery wastes textile mill fibres

How organic waste is used 

Using organic waste can do more than cut down on the volume of waste we send to landfills. When processed correctly, it can be used in a number of valuable ways such as:

• micro nutrients and soil structure to help plants grow
• fuel for electricity
• brownfields remediation

How we ensure organic waste is safe to use 

Ontario has created and enforces laws and regulations to ensure any organic waste we use is processed correctly and is safe.

Please explore the rest of this section to learn more about specific types of organic waste and how we make sure they are safe to use and used safely.