The Province of B.C. is launching the CleanBC Organic Infrastructure and Collection Program, which will provide up to $25.7 million, over three years, to communities to develop or expand opportunities to divert organic waste from landfills.
The program is meant to enable communities throughout British Columbia to be able to build organic waste processing facilities and implement organic curbside pickup programs, decreasing the amount of organic material going into landfills, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and creating jobs.
"People in BC are increasingly committed to reducing the amount of waste going into landfills and supporting ways to turn organic waste into useful products like compost to enrich soil for growing more food rather than releasing more carbon into the atmosphere," said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.
"Some communities, especially smaller ones, can be challenged by the lack of curbside programs that make it much easier to deliver organics to processing facilities. As a result of the measures announced today, and more to come, residents will benefit from cleaner, healthier, lower carbon communities."
The program offers two streams of funding: organic waste processing infrastructure projects and residential curbside collection programs. Eligible applicants include Indigenous governing bodies, regional districts, and municipalities. Funding will be provided through cost-sharing arrangements, with the province providing up to two-thirds of eligible project costs and applicants contributing the remainder.
"Diversion of organics reduces GHG emissions and extends the lifespan of landfills," said Maja Tait, mayor of the District of Sooke and president of the Union of B.C. Municipalities. "This is a substantial investment by the Province that will increase the volume of organics diverted, producing more high-value compost."
The new CleanBC Organic Infrastructure and Collection Program follows the successful implementation of a provincial-federal funding partnership, the Organics Infrastructure Program, which recently provided funding for 13 compost facility projects throughout the province. It is anticipated the program will fund up to 18 organics infrastructure projects and provide up to 86,000 residential units with curbside collection programs.
Hear more about the new CleanBC program at THE ORGANICS RECYCLING CONFERENCE, to be held virtually from Monday September 28 - Friday October 2. www.compost2020.org.
For a full report on the CleanBC Plan.