Testing of a Thermophilic Composter for Managing Organics in four Abitibi Municipalities

The Municipality of Landrienne Township (Landrienne), in partnership with the municipalities of La Corne, Saint-Félix-de-Dalquier and Saint-Marc-de-Figuery, is planning on implementing curbside organics collection, along with an enclosed thermophilic composting system. The residents in the four municipalities (+/- 3,500 individuals) will take part in the curbside collection program. Landrienne believes that this first 28-m3 composter will be sufficient to treat the organics collected in the first year, and will help confirm the total number of composters required. This type of composter has never been used in a municipal environment or in a Northern territory. the pilot project will confirm the performance level of a single composter and determine the number of composters required to process the organics collected once resident participation peaks. Waste wood from a local sawmill will be used as a structuring material. The pilot project will provide the municipalities with a better idea of the flow of residual materials in their area and help them develop the expertise and independence as part of a collaborative process. This project is aligned with Quebec’s residual materials policy and its 2011-2015 action plan, in addition to the Abitibi Regional County Municipality’s residual materials management plan. It will help the municipalities surpass the diversion objectives set in each of these policies. Innovative Aspects Enclosed thermophilic composters are commonly and successfully used in agricultural, agri-food and mining sectors, but have yet to be used in the municipal sector, at least in Quebec. This project therefore has considerable innovative potential, especially since the municipalities are small and have limited resources. Furthermore, the effectiveness of thermal processing could be impaired in these northern municipalities, especially in winter, an issue that is not generally investigated when setting up a composter. Replication Potential The project’s replication potential is an important issue. The first step involves confirming or invalidating the viability of the technology for the municipal sector, then determining whether municipalities with limited resources could operate this type of technology on their own, and finally assess the impact of a northern climate on the technology. If the conclusions of the pilot project are positive, enclosed thermophilic composters could become a viable solution for small rural communities in the North. Environmental Benefits The environmental benefits relate to the implementation of the entire project, not just the pilot phase: • Increase the recovery rate from 45% to 62% for the four municipalities • Recovery of 300 new tonnes or organics annually • Reduced greenhouse gas emissions of about 475 tonnes CO2 equivalent annually Economic Benefits The economic benefits relate to the implementation of the entire project, not just the pilot phase: • Estimated job creation of about 5 hours per week of additional work in each of the participating municipalities • Fees of $22/tonne eliminated for the 300 tonnes composted and increased redistribution of $14,000 in fees annually for the four municipalities • Measure promoting the local economy, in that waste wood from a local sawmill is to be used as a structuring material (88 tonnes/year) Social Benefits Social benefits apply to both the pilot phase and the project as a whole: • The compost will be used by the municipalities in landscaping work, in addition to being distributed to local residents at an annual event, which could well help make residents more aware of organics collection efforts and increase the sense of ownership in the program (Project description from original funding application)