The following is being distributed at the request of the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board:

Curbside Composting Pilot Success Leads to Project Extension

Building on the success of the 2012 curbside compositing pilot project in the Town of Grand Bank, the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board (MMSB), in partnership with the Burin Peninsula Waste Management Corporation and the Town of Grand Bank, announced today an extension to the Grand Bank curbside composting pilot. Phase two will expand the pilot to include all 1,200 households.

“Organic waste and paper fibre account for 67 per cent of the total household waste generated in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said the Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Environment and Conservation and Minister Responsible for MMSB. “As a government we know the significance of protecting our environment and safeguarding it for families in our towns and communities with initiatives like curbside composting. I commend the Burin Peninsula Waste Management Corporation for developing a successful waste diversion program and for expanding the composting project, allowing for further solutions to be identified in diverting waste from the local landfill.”

Over 200 households in the Town of Grand Bank, along with grocery stores and fish processing centres on the Burin Peninsula, participated in the pilot, diverting over 112 tonnes of organic waste and paper fibre from the local landfill.

“This is an exciting pilot for the Town of Grand Bank and the Burin Peninsula as a whole,” said the Honourable Darin King, Minister of Justice and MHA for Grand Bank. “We are pleased with the first phase of the pilot and can see that we have a real opportunity to change how we manage waste in our region. I encourage all residents to embrace the pilot to help the environment and also help reduce waste disposal costs.”

The organic and paper fibre waste will be collected by the Burin Peninsula Waste Management Corporation, along with regular garbage, beginning on May 31.

“Through this composting pilot extension, the Burin Peninsula Waste Management Corporation is leading the way in diverting organic waste from the landfill,” said Mike Samson, Chief Executive Officer of the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board. “We look forward to the results of the next phase of the pilot and finding ways to implement similar waste diversion programs in other areas of the province.”

The Burin Peninsula Waste Management Corporation is pleased to enhance the program they have successfully established.

“We look forward to introducing new research variables that study the feasibility of composting a combination of residential and industrial waste,” said Harold Murphy, Chair of the Burin Peninsula Waste Management Corporation.

The Burin Peninsula Waste Management Corporation, together with MMSB, will host two information sessions on May 23 at the town hall in Grand Bank. All residents are encouraged to attend one of the sessions to learn about how to participate in the pilot.

“I encourage all residents of Grand Bank to participate this year and show how committed our town is to protecting the environment,” said Grand Bank Mayor Darrell Lafosse.

To learn more about this pilot, visit www.burinpenwaste.com or call the Burin Peninsula Waste Management Corporation office at 709-891-1717.

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2013 05 17                                  11:10 a.m.