Regional Organic Waste Recovery Analysis & Collective Data Management System

The Calgary Regional Partnership (CRP) will conduct a feasibility study to determine the regional organic waste flow and potential scope, location(s), appropriate technology, and business case implications associated with a regional organic waste recovery system. Three options will be evaluated - multiple regional organic waste processing facilities, a single material recovery facility, and smaller scale municipal waste processing facilities. An implementation strategy for the preferred option will also be established. Baseline GHG emissions from landfills will be determined and a preliminary evaluation of energy from biomass options conducted. Currently, at least 90 per cent of organics are not being diverted. By weight, this represents 40 per cent of the overall waste stream. The CRP estimates that over a 10-year period, an organic waste recovery system could achieve a 60 per cent organics diversion rate, diverting 406,909 tonnes of organic waste per year from landfills by 2017, with an ultimate goal of ‘zero disposal’ of organic materials in landfills. This would result in a 60 per cent reduction in future GHG emissions from landfills and a decrease in GHG emissions associated with the creation of transportation synergies. The diversion of organics would also reduce leachate production and extend the life of regional landfills.