Looking at waste management through a regional lens in rural Manitoba

The Village of Dunnottar will undertake a waste characterization study and evaluate the technical, financial, and environmental feasibility of a number of regional waste management solutions. The study will take a regional approach to the current waste-management system that will involve the Village of Dunnottar, Rural Municipality of St. Andrews, Town of Stonewall, and Rural Municipality of Rockwood. The study will advance regional knowledge regarding waste flows to local landfills, and analyze technological options and opportunities for regional waste diversion.

The key deliverable of this project are a waste characterization that addresses the gaps and challenges of municipal solid waste management in the four communities, and a preliminary front-end engineering design that details the technical, environmental and economic feasibility of a regional waste management facility. The study also aims to produce an implementation plan for a source-separated organics program.

The environmental objectives of the study include increasing waste diversion through regionalizing waste services, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing vehicle kilometers travelled. This study is in line with the Village of Dunnottar’s Integrated Community Sustainability Plan and the Climate Change Local Action Plan.

This study is related to GMF15133 titled “Manitoba Capital Region Waste Management Rationalization Feasibility Study” and is similar to GMF15052 titled “Establishing a regional waste to value-added facility in the Town of St. Paul” in Alberta.

Innovative aspect(s):

• While the proposed initiative is not unique, it has the potential to develop innovative practices for smaller municipalities in provinces with limited requirements for waste diversion
• This study will assess waste-management opportunities in four small communities through a regional lens

Replicability:

The study can be replicated by other regions in rural Manitoba that are facing similar waste-management challenges.