By Rosalind Russell – With support from Impact Canada’s Food Waste Reduction Challenge, a pilot program was run in the Town of Espanola that included 100 participating households and has achieved measurable success.
That’s accoring to Farah Sheriffdeen and Brittany Clarke, the municipal partner coordinators who told council the Food Recycler Pilot Project was a successful one.
Sheriffdeen says the town paid out the initial $10,000 with residents paying a small fee to purchase the portable systems, and usage was tracked for 12 weeks to calculate total waste diversion.
Clarke says they received 70 responses out of the 100 participants as part of a survey adding 29.7 metric tons of waste is estimated to have been diverted from the local landfill this year.
She adds the unit produces fine compost, which the users can use in their gardens and flower beds.
Council was impressed with the results and have chosen to continue the program looking to expand it across the community.
Interested residents can register their intent to purchase a unit, they will be shipped, with the programming continuing in 2024.
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