History

The Oxford County Waste Management Facility (OCWMF) at 384060 Salford Road was opened in 1986. In 1987, approximately 84,000 tonnes of garbage was sent to the landfill. Waste quantities were reported by volume prior to 1995 and by weight when tonnage information became available. Since the facility opened, OCWMF has diverted more and more waste by opening up diversion programs such as brush, leaf and yard waste, construction and demolition waste, and recycling.

Oxford County manages a leading Waste Management program, consistently reaching top rankings for waste diversion in its class among Ontario municipalities. Through careful planning and an active diversion strategy, the County has extended the life of the landfill at the OCWMF by approximately forty years.

 

Key facts

  • Approximately 80,000 tonnes of material is received annually at the OCWMF
  • Just over 24,000 tonnes of material received at the OCWMF is diverted and approximately 7,200 tonnes of residential blue box material is diverted from the curb each year.
  • The County has an annual residential diversion rate of 45%. The diversion rate represents the amount of waste that is diverted from landfill for recycling and is used to measure program success.

 

Waste Management & Education Centre

The Oxford County Waste Management Facility & Education Centre officially opened in June 2018. The net-zero energy facility includes a solar photovoltaic system that produces enough electricity to offset the amount of electricity used by the entire OCWMF.

The building features numerous energy efficiencies, including rammed earth walls that are 22 inches thick and contain 8 inches of insulation, triple-pane windows and Energy Recovery Ventilators that heat the incoming air supply with heat energy recovered from the building's exhaust air.

To find out more about the Education Centre and tours, visit the Education page.

 Future of Waste Management

Zero Waste

On October 28, 2015, Oxford County Council committed through resolution to establish Oxford as a “zero waste” community by ensuring that 100% of Oxford generated and non-hazardous industrial, commercial, institutional and residential solid waste disposal needs are met by the Oxford County Waste Management Facility by 2025, while ensuring Oxford’s solid waste disposal capacity to the year 2100.
 Waste Management Strategy
Let's Talk... Trash
A road map for reducing, handling, and disposing of waste generated in Oxford County.
Download the Oxford County Waste Management Strategy
Zero Waste Committee 
Oxford County’s Zero Waste Committee was formed in 2015 to connect committed community members and County staff together to discuss waste management needs. More information can be found on the Future Oxford Committee pages.
 Achievements

Oxford County operates a high-performing Waste Management program. The 2014 Waste Management Strategy sets a strong course of action to ensure better performance, improved customer satisfaction, less environmental impact, and greater cost effectiveness.

In 2017 Oxford County ranked 19th out of 245 municipalities and placed 4th out of 14 municipalities in its class for waste diversion in Ontario. 
 By-Laws

By-laws for waste management govern fees the County charges for waste services and how certain types of waste are handled.

No. 4889-2007 Schedule of Fees and Charges Effective January 1, 2024
 Waste Management Annual Reports

Oxford County is required to report on all waste management facilities and operations annually to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. Reports are first tabled and approved by Oxford County Council. Read the full waste management reports by clicking the links below.