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Program Benefits
The City's Green Waste Collection Program has many benefits.
The Environment
Waste reduction
Studies show that as much as 47% of our garbage is compostable organic material. While backyard composting is the preferred method of recycling these organics because it is always best to address waste at the source, the City realizes not all residents find this method feasible.
Combined with other waste-reduction efforts such as biweekly garbage pickup (starting January 2010), the City’s Kitchen Waste Collection Program will divert an estimated 2,400 tonnes of waste from our landfills each year. Keeping organic materials out of the landfills also helps reduce leachate and landfill gas emissions.
In addition, the green waste collected by the City is recycled to create a useful product: compost.
The introduction of year-round yard and compostable kitchen waste pickup will also increase recycling of yard waste, another significant component of the waste stream.
Water treatment
The program is also intended to reduce the use of in-sink garbage disposals, which significantly add to the energy use and costs to treat our wastewater.
Cost Savings
The Kitchen Waste Collection Program, in conjunction with other waste-reduction initiatives, could save as much as $225,000 over five years in waste disposal costs, which property owners pay directly on their property tax bill.
Regional garbage disposal rates are expected to rise almost 14% in 2010, from $72/tonne to $82/tonne. Green waste disposal costs will remain at $50/tonne. Given that up to 47% of all garbage is compostable kitchen waste, the savings can be significant with high resident participation.
At a regional level, the reduced use of household garbage disposals reduces the wastewater treatment costs paid by all taxpayers.
