Public Works Committee splits 10-2 on 2026-2050 Hamilton Solid Waste Management Master Plan

The report sought Council approval for the 2026-2050 Hamilton Solid Waste Management Master Plan as the 2001-2025 plan was expired. The document outlined a detailed plan for the first five years from 2026 to 2030.

The Plan updated guiding principles, 11 short-term action items, three long-term action items, and multiple enabling initiatives to increase the City’s waste diversion rate, modernize waste collection, and extend the life of the Glanbrook Landfill. The Plan included a new vision statement that emphasized waste reduction, community partnership, circularity, and resource recovery.

The Plan stated that it supported Hamilton’s environmental and climate goals by improving waste diversion, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and extending the life of the Glanbrook Landfill. It noted that several operational options required attention early in the Action Plan starting in 2026, creating competing priorities for staff and resources.

The report noted that solid waste services were delivered by the City’s Waste Management Division within the Public Works Department and governed by Solid Waste Management By-law No. 20-221, which set property eligibility, service standards, and acceptable materials. It stated that the City’s population was projected to grow from 604,583 in 2026 to 806,514 by 2050 and that the City planned to submit an application to increase the approved capacity to 24,000 TPY by Q3 2026.

The motion, as recorded in the minutes:

(Spadafora/Hwang) That the presentation from Ryan Kent, Manager of Waste Policy and Programs, and Blair Shoniker, Consultant from GHD respecting Report PW26022, 2026-2050 Hamilton Solid Waste Management Master Plan (City Wide), BE RECEIVED. CARRIED (iii) (Spadafora/Hwang) That Report PW26022, dated May 25, 2026, respecting the 2026-2050 Hamilton Solid Waste Management Master Plan (City Wide), BE RECEIVED, and the following recommendations BE APPROVED: (a) That the 2026-2050 Hamilton Solid Waste Management Master Plan, as detailed in Appendix “A” to report PW26022, BE APPROVED; (b) That staff BE DIRECTED to implement the short-term action items (2026–2030) and enabling initiatives, as detailed in Appendix “B” to report PW26022; (c) That staff BE DIRECTED to report back to the Waste Management Sub-Committee annually on the progress and outcomes of the 2026-2050 Hamilton Solid Waste Management Master Plan; (d) That staff BE DIRECTED to report back to the Public Works Committee every five years on the progress, outcomes, and required adjustments to the 2026-2050 Hamilton Solid Waste Management Master Plan; and (e) That staff BE DIRECTED to report back to the Public Works Committee at the appropriate time with the proposed waste collection program specifications to be included in the next Waste Collection Request for Proposal for the next waste collection contract.

Every figure above comes from the official minutes and the recorded vote they contain. The roll call shows how each member voted.

How this report was made: a language model drafted it from 10 claims extracted verbatim from the meeting’s own documents, and a second model checked every sentence against those claims. Nothing outside the cited documents reaches this page. The vote record above is parsed directly from the minutes and is not drafted.