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That the green bin is coming soon to multi-unit residences - more commonly known as condominiums and apartment buildings - in the city is a welcome, if not overdue, piece of news.

The announcement was made last Wednesday in North York and comes a few years after the program's implementation in single-family dwellings across the city between 2003 and 2005. Over the next 18 months, it's expected as many as 300 buildings a month will be brought on board to join the expanding program. Soon, it should be much easier for apartment and condo residents to divert organic waste (such as food, paper towels and plant matter for instance), thus preventing it from heading on a truck to a landfill in Michigan with the rest of Toronto's garbage.

For implementing programs like this, it's simply not a matter of if, but when. Bringing green bins online, hopefully in an effective manner, in a more fulsome manner across the city closes a significant gap in the city's waste-diversion coverage, thanks to an increase in processing capacity.

While the new program reaches city-wide (where it's estimated 500,000 residents are ultimately affected), it's of critical importance in North York, where residents of such buildings form an even more significant portion of the population. The importance of waste diversion from landfill is ever growing, as we continue to evolve into utilizing more sustainable methods, the environmental and economic benefits of the transition are becoming ever more apparent.

The impending implementation will not be without its challenges (odours and pests were a couple of obstacles encountered during the previous program implementation). Indeed, at last Wednesday's launch, the former reason seemed to be the impetus for a call for more frequent pick-up. It will be up to each building how it deals with those concerns.

The program's expansion is an important part of the city's lofty goal to have 70 per cent waste diversion by 2010. According to the city, that figure in apartments and condos sits at a mere 13 per cent, a number Mayor David Miller predicted will double through the implementation of this program expansion.

Ultimately, this transition is part of a process. Certain habits take time to change. A similar scenario no doubt once existed with recycling and it also existed for residential home dwellers when the green bin was first introduced five years ago. This situation is no different.

Times have changed. This is a case where we need to continue to change with them.