Workers at the city landfill move piles of yard waste compost around in this 2018 file photo. City budget officials say that facility requires $9.5 million in upgrades to add water line and composting facility to maintain its regulatory requirements.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
Food waste collection could be coming to Medicine Hat as a pilot program to separate organic, compostable material from general trash was debated Monday when council viewed a new 10-year waste strategy.
The plan revisits the previous 2012-2022 waste strategy that included yard waste collection and curbside recycling as ways to increase the lifespan of the city’s landfill.
The new document, prepared by Dillon Consulting, outlines a food waste program similar to those in Calgary and Lethbridge as a way to divert an additional 3,700 tonnes per year of refuse from the general solid waste stream.
It states that currently, food waste comprises about 39 per cent of trash that winds up in residential grey bins.
The pilot project would dedicate one truck to collect from 100 homes in each of the city’s five collection zones each week. The results would be studied in 2025 for potential full implementation in 2026.
The report suggests half the project’s $1-million operating cost would be covered by grants. Full deployment to 21,000 households would likely require an enclosed composting facility that could cost $10 million.
The report also suggests near term consideration on:
– A “circular economy” study with local non-profits to keep useful but unwanted items from going in the trash;
– Developing a construction and demolition policy aimed at diverting clean wood, drywall and concrete;
– Differentiated tipping rates for recyclable items such as construction material and cardboard from businesses;
– Continue with operational measures to improve capacity at the dump.
Those scored highest when judged on economic, social and environmental impact scales as having the largest short- to mid-term effects.
Also ranking high were studying anaerobic digestion technology toward renewable natural gas, other waste to energy options, banning single-use plastics, or adding other renewable power facilities at the landfill to offset costs.
Expanding commercial and multi-family recycling collection would be studied in 2024, as would the potential and cost of waste-to-energy projects.
Council directed the project back to committee late during Monday’s regular meeting.
