Organic Waste Processing : Canada: EREF-Canada study finds national organic waste processing lacking
A recent analysis found Canadian waste processing capacities lacking.
Conducted by the Environmental Research and Education Foundation of Canada (EREF-Canada), a science-based research organisation focused on solid waste, the study revealed that existing waste management infrastructure falls short when it comes to addressing the organic waste problem.
The report focuses on residential, industrial, commercial and institutional organic waste diversion across the country’s 10 provinces and 3 states.
Subject of the research are individual regional organic waste policies but also the overall picture with regards to biowaste handling in the country coupled with the capacities and tonnes of organic waste processed in currently operational facilities.
Within the remits of the study, organic waste was defined as un-eaten and disposed of food waste, inedible waste in the form of food scraps, agricultural waste (ex. manure), biosolids (organic matter recovered from sewage, often used as fertiliser) and leaf and yard waste.
EREF-Canada found that most Canadian provinces are sufficiently able to process organic waste deriving from plant matter. Collectively, the study showed that there is enough processing capability to handle 2,66 million tonnes of this basic degradable form of organic waste.(This type of waste is easier to treat as it does not require much in terms of infrastructure.)
In 2019, 72% of organic waste was processed in composting facilities. Annually, the 387 facilities in the country can process 5,74 million tonnes of biowaste, the term implying both leaf and yard waste as well as more complex waste forms.
Yet the potential of provinces to handle complex organic waste, which is difficult to treat, either on account of odour, contamination, cost or volume size, is comparatively limited. Said facilities also have restricted buffer limits at 20-30%, that is, the capability to take on extra loads of unforeseen waste.
EREF-Canada’s figures show that an additional 1,1 million tonnes worth of food as well as yard and garden waste could be processed if the current capacity level at 5,7 million tonnes were extended.
The report highlights the fact that overall willingness to divert organic waste from landfill as well as reduce organic waste volume is at an all time high. The Canadian biowaste sector has been steadily growing since the 90’s, there being 328 active compost facilities and 59 anaerobic digestion facilities in the country as of 2019.
EREF-Canada’s analysis also found that Canada is able to expand its capacity of collecting and processing additional organic waste as many residents live in areas where curbside leaf and yard waste programs as well as waste management programmes for more complex organic waste are readily available.
With territories such as Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia setting more aggressive waste diversion and reduction goals, their projected recycling and recovery rates for 2030 ranging between 70-95% in contrast to the national organic waste reduction goal of 30% by 2050, investment in advanced waste management infrastructure becomes more vital than ever.
Yet for these regions to successfully fulfil their pledges, infrastructure spend needs to be supplemented by bespoke policies and programmes formulated with waste management objectives in mind.