Environment and Climate Change
September 8, 2016
The following is being distributed at the request of the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board:
Investing in Sustainable Communities
Curbside Composting Pilot Project to Launch on the Northern Peninsula
The Multi-Materials Stewardship Board (MMSB) in partnership with the Northern Peninsula Regional Service Board (NorPen) today announced the launch of a residential curbside composting pilot project with approximately 900 households in sub-region four in the Northern Peninsula waste management region. Organic waste collection will commence on September 27, 2016, and participation is voluntary.
The pilot will assess the feasibility of developing a cost-effective and environmentally-sustainable solution for managing organic waste on the Northern Peninsula. Data collected through the project will also identify best practices for diverting organics from landfills in other regions of the province with a similar geography.
�With organic waste comprising more than 30 per cent of the daily waste we generate, exploring viable options for managing composting programs on a regional basis is imperative to the larger plan to achieve sustainable waste management in Newfoundland and Labrador. Our government is committed to supporting community-driven initiatives that can help identify practical solutions to ensure we continue to protect the environment.�
- The Honourable Perry Trimper, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister Responsible for the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board
MMSB invested $100,000 from the Waste Management Trust Fund to help finance one-time capital costs for the composting pilot and also provided public education and organic waste management counsel. NorPen will finance annual operating costs for labour, equipment and landfill site maintenance, collection, transportation and education.
�MMSB has established long-term partnerships and made strategic investments in a range of new programs and technologies with the goal to better understand best practices and options for managing organic waste in Newfoundland and Labrador. We look forward to building on this support through the Northern Peninsula Regional Service Board�s (NorPen) curbside composting pilot and to exploring the potential to manage organic waste in the region."
- Mike Samson, Chief Executive Officer, Multi-Materials Stewardship Board
Organics will be collected as part of the regular weekly garbage schedule by using a split compartment compactor truck. It is estimated that 80 metric tonnes of organic waste will be diverted from landfill in the first year of the pilot by using a low-tech windrow method for composting. Finished compost will be available for participating residents to use in their gardens.
�The Northern Peninsula Regional Service Board is very excited to implement a curbside composting pilot and explore the potential for a locally-operated organic waste management program to service the entire region. This is a great opportunity not only to reduce our burden on the landfill but also to reduce our waste management costs. I am confident residents of sub-region four will embrace the pilot to the fullest and make it a success.�
-Chair Doug Mills, NorPen
NorPen will provide households of sub-region four with the materials and information required to participate in the pilot. Residents are also invited to attend one of four drop-in sessions where they can register for the project, receive a free bin and learn how to sort their organic waste.
For more information, visit www.norpenservices.ca 
or contact NorPen at 709-454-3110 or email info.nprsb@nf.aibn.com.
QUICK FACTS
- NorPen has received $100,000 in funding from MMSB�s Waste Management Trust Fund to help finance a curbside composting pilot project.
- The pilot will explore the potential to develop a financially and environmentally-viable solution for managing organic waste on the Northern Peninsula.
- Beginning September 27, 2016, residents of sub-region four in the Northern Peninsula waste management region can compost their organic waste.
- For more information about the program, visit www.norpenservices.ca
- 30 -
Media contacts:
| Emily Timmins Director of Communications Department of Environment and Climate Change 709-729-2575, 693-1292 emilytimmins@gov.nl.ca |
Jill Thomas Myrick Director of Marketing, Communications, and Public Education Multi-Materials Stewardship Board 709-757-3696, 689-4795 jmyrick@mmsb.nl.ca |
| Chelsea Lockyer, Waste Operations Coordinator Northern Peninsula Regional Service Board 709-454-3110 chelsea.nprsb@nf.aibn.com |
2016 09 08 10:45 a.m.