The vision of a reduced flow of waste to Squamish's landfill is one step closer to reality thanks to an initiative developed by a forward-thinking organic farmer in partnership with an innovative organic waste diversion company.
Their shared goal is to establish a food waste facility using a unique composting technology, creating cleaner, greener communities in the Sea to Sky Corridor.
Net Zero Waste Inc. specializes in the design and construction of Gore Cover composting facilities across North America.
Director Mateo Ocejo explained how it works. "The technology has no moving parts and utilizes a fabric similar to the well known Gore-Tex fabrics," he said. "It essentially provides a waterproof jacket for the organic material that allows air to pass through but keeps the smelly, steamy organicscontained beneath. It is a much more aggressive composting process than is possible in backyard composters.
"Thissystem reaches temperatures as high as 80 degrees Celsius where it is heldunder cover for approximately six weeks before a class A compost is produced.Small projects have recently successfully been built in Chemainus and Sechelt, where communities are taking waste disposal one step further," he said.
Last year Ocejo was contacted by organic farmer Jaye-Jay Berggren from Pemberton, whooutlined the problems experienced by growers in the region associated withpoor nutrient-quality soil. Berggren is delighted with the partnership with Net Zero Waste and is devoted to the sustainability of local food producers.
"Recycling food waste will provide the opportunity for all local food growers alike, including home gardeners and large organic farming operations, to reduce the reliance on synthetic fertilizers and expensive soil amendments," Berggren said."There is a significant nutrient deficiency in our soil, and this is a very important issue, especially for organic farmers.
"High-quality compost will reduce the need for the additional fertilizers and will reduce pests and diseases," he said. "This technology is 'brewing' and it's perfect for what we're looking for."
Ocejo explained that the corridor's current waste facilities are inadequate.
"Withsome of the region's biosolidscurrently being hauled large distances to the United States for disposal, it makes sense to separate the food waste from the biosolids at the Whistler facility, which will immediately make room forthe region'sbiosolids and allow the establishment of a food-waste-only composting facility," he said.
"Thisfacility willsupport a successful organic farming community and strengthen the long-term food security of the Sea to Sky Corridor by providing all residentswith access to high-quality, contaminant-free class A compost."
When asked about the current state of the project, Ocejo said that it is progressing well.
"Our team has partnered with the Lil'wat Nation and secured a site between Whistler and Pemberton. We are requesting that each municipality agree that a ban onorganics disposalbe placed at the region's landfills to encourage a sustainable diversion program," he said.
Ocejo said so far the project has been well received as the benefits associated with the supply of high-quality soil are evident and range from helping community gardens to improved yields on commercial organic farms.
"This project willcomplement and improve the existing system by providing green jobs andreduce our carbon footprintby allowing all of the region's organics to be recycled sustainably," he said.
But there are still a few hurdles on the way to seeing the project to completion. Ocejo emphasized how important support is from the District of Squamish.
"Without the support of Squamish in particular, due to their ownership of the regional landfill, this project will not be possible to advance," he said. "Due to the relatively small population in the Sea to Sky Corridor, we need broad-based regional support for this dream to become a reality."
He said Net Zero Waste officials will deliver a presentation on their proposed food waste composting facility project to council in the coming weeks. They also plan to hold a public information session in the near future, he said.
Check out www.netzerowaste.com for more information on this leading edge composting technology.
