THUNDER BAY —Nearly 12,000 tonnes of food waste that's tossed into garbage cans and dumpsters in Thunder Bay each year could be diverted once the city's green bin recycling program goes into operation.
That's an estimate based on a 2014 study which assumed a reasonable level of participation by city residents.
The city has posted a Request for Proposals from consultants interested in developing a comprehensive green bin plan.
The Ontario government requires Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and North Bay to implement the program by 2025, and cities in southern Ontario by 2023.
Food waste dumped in a landfill creates methane, which is 28 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
In Northern Ontario, Sudbury is the only city that already collects discarded food.
If Thunder Bay's experience proves similar to that of the nickel city, successful implementation of green bin recycling will potentially require capping curbside garbage collection to one bag per household weekly, in order to encourage compliance.
Sudbury launched its program in 2009.
However, by 2018, the participation rate was still only 27 per cent, well short of the 50 per cent target the government has set for Northern Ontario.
After Sudbury reduced its garbage bag limit – initially from two bags to one bag weekly, then in February of this year to two bags every other week – it observed an increase in the participation rate and the amount of organic material collected.
City officials are still analyzing the results.
Their counterparts in Thunder Bay are hesitant to speculate on what the consultant's report will recommend.
Jason Sherband, manager of solid waste and recycling services for the city, says only that the study will determine "how best to integrate" green bins into the existing solid waste system to meet the province's requirements.
Setting a budget is a long ways off, but costs are expected to be considerable, and it's not clear whether the province will help municipalities cover their costs.
Sherband said organics programs are typically one of the most expensive waste streams to manage.
"Any program of this magnitude is going to come at a significant cost. You have to look at the collection aspect. You've got to consider the processing," he told TBNewswatch.
From 40 to 45 per cent of the city's waste stream is currently comprised of food waste.
"It is a significant amount of material that ends up in the garbage stream," Sherband noted.
Sudbury composts all the discarded food that it collects at its landfill site, and either sells it to the public after processing or uses it for municipal planting programs.
Although Sherband emphasized that nothing about the program has been predetermined, Thunder Bay's food waste could be used at the landfill to generate more methane gas at the power plant owned by Synergy North.
The city also wants to study options for new technology to improve efficiency, such as automated green bin collection at curbside by trucks fitted with extendable arms.
The city expects the consultants to submit a final report about five months from now.
Whatever shape Thunder Bay's green bin program takes, the education component will be a key to its success.
In a previous interview, Sherband referred to what he called "the yuk factor."
He expressed confidence that a good proportion of local residents will be anxious to participate, but added 'You're dealing with food waste...It's gonna take some time to get other people on board and willing to participate."
