Advanced Education and Skills
Municipal Affairs
February 13, 2012
The following is being distributed at the request of the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board:
Town of Grand Bank Curbside Composting Pilot Program Launched
The Multi-Materials Stewardship Board (MMSB), in partnership with the Burin Peninsula Waste Management Corporation and the Town of Grand Bank, today announced a new composting pilot project with 450 households in the Town of Grand Bank. The pilot is scheduled to begin on March 7, 2012 and will run until November 21, 2012.
“Organics and paper fibre make up the two largest sources of waste in Newfoundland and Labrador, accounting for 67 per cent of the total household waste we generate,” said the Honourable Terry French, Minister Responsible for the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board. “One of government’s roles in advancing the Provincial Solid Waste Management Strategy is to identify and increase local waste diversion opportunities that will result in a greener Newfoundland and Labrador. The Grand Bank composting pilot program is an example of how we are doing just that.”
The Department of Advanced Education and Skills is supporting the curbside composting pilot program with a total investment of $81,619 through the Job Creation Partnership program. The funding will employ two compost technicians and one foreman/heavy equipment operator for 52 weeks.
“The Provincial Government is pleased to support practical, community-driven solutions to waste diversion challenges,” said the Honourable Joan Burke, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills. “Through the Job Creation Partnership program, the individuals employed in the curbside composting pilot program will also have the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and transferable skills that can be utilized for future employment opportunities.”
The MMSB has invested $60,000 from the Waste Management Trust Fund to help finance the capital costs, training and education associated with the composting pilot. The purpose of the pilot is to assess the feasibility of composting organics and paper fibre on the Burin Peninsula in an effort to provide a local, cost-effective and environmentally-sound solution for these waste streams in the region. In addition, the pilot will also provide much needed research and best practices for managing and diverting organic and paper fibre waste at the local level that could have provincial applications.
It is estimated that a total of 400 tonnes of material, including residential paper fibre and organics, fisheries and agricultural waste and sawdust and woodchips, will be diverted from the local landfill throughout the duration of the pilot.
“This is a positive step forward for waste management in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said the Honourable Kevin O’Brien, Minister of Municipal Affairs. “We look forward to the results of the pilot to determine the possible application of similar types of waste diversion programs for other regions of the province and the potential benefits this may have for the Provincial Solid Waste Management Strategy.”
Households on the Wednesday garbage collection route will separate their organic waste and paper fibre from the rest of their garbage before putting it to the curb for collection. The organic and paper fibre waste will be collected, along with regular garbage, but unloaded at a separate composting area located at the Fortune/Grand Bank landfill site. At the composting site, the organics and paper fibre will be de-bagged, inspected and mixed before being placed in one of three composting windrows.
“This is an exciting pilot for the Town of Grand Bank and the Burin Peninsula as a whole,” said the Honourable Darin King, MHA for Grand Bank and Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. “We have a real opportunity to change how we manage waste in our region that will not only help the environment but could also save taxpayers money. I am sure residents will embrace the pilot to the fullest and make it a success.”
The Burin Peninsula Waste Management Corporation will provide each participating household with the supplies necessary to participate in the pilot, including a kitchen container for collecting food scraps, compostable plastic bags for lining kitchen containers, transparent green bags for collecting paper and cardboard, and yard waste stickers for labelling yard waste bags.
“We are happy to be partnering with the MMSB on this very exciting initiative for the Burin Peninsula,” said Joe Pittman, General Manager, Burin Peninsula Waste Management Corporation. “We are looking forward to starting the pilot and moving forward with the study.”
Mayor Darrelle Lafosse stated that Grand Bank is pleased to be the first community in the province to be involved in a pilot of this nature.
“The Town of Grand Bank thanks the MMSB and all the other partners that helped make this project a reality,” said Mayor Lafosse. “Our residents are committed to the environment and we are pleased to be the first community in the province to launch a composting pilot of this nature.”
To learn more about this pilot, visit www.burinpenwaste.com 
or contact Joe Pittman at the Burin Peninsula Waste Management Corporation office at 709-891-1717 or info@burinpenwaste.com
The MMSB is a Crown agency that reports to the Minister of Environment and Conservation. The MMSB supports modern waste management practices in the province, with a particular focus on waste diversion, recycling and public education, in order to ensure a clean and healthy environment throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
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Media contacts:
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Melony O’Neill Director of Communications Department of Environment and Conservation 709-729-2575, 689-0928 moneill@gov.nl.ca |
Cara Pike Director of Communications MMSB 709-757-3696, 709-689-4795 cpike@mmsb.nl.ca |
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John Tompkins Director of Communications Department of Advanced Education and Skills 709-729-0753, 728-7762 jtompkins@gov.nl.ca |
Ken Morrissey Director of Communications Department of Municipal Affairs 709-729-1983, 685-6612 kenmorrissey@gov.nl.ca |
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Corey Parsons Constituency Assistant to the Honourable Darin King MHA for Grand Bank 709-832-2531, 1-877-997-9933 CoreyParsons@gov.nl.ca |
Joe Pittman General Manager Burin Peninsula Waste Management Corporation 709-891-1717 info@burinpenwaste.com |
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Darrelle Lafosse Mayor Town of Grand Bank 709-832-1600 mayor@townofgrandbank.net |
2012 02 13 10:55 a.m.