Delta is poised to introduce a food scrap recycling program.
Delta council will consider a staff report Monday on a proposed food waste pick-up initiative that would be added to the municipality's current curbside collection of yard trimmings beginning April 16. Yard trimmings and food waste would be picked up every week.
The Green Can program would allow residents to place all cooked and uncooked food waste, including fruit, vegetables, coffee grounds and filters, teabags, meat, fish, dairy and bread, along with food-soiled paper and yard trimmings, in a lidded container at the curb for collection.
In 2009, an area of Ladner participated in a six-month trial program but the results were somewhat disappointing.
The report notes, "While there are clear environmental benefits associated with food waste recycling program, participation requires a considerable shift in behavior. A communication strategy that focuses on driving behavior change is necessary to ensure the program's success."
The report also notes that once the majority of residents are participating in the Green Can program, it's projected that up to 4,000 tonnes of food waste could be diverted from garbage disposal each year, increasing Delta's single-family diversion rate to about 60 per cent.
The program will result in a $10 per household increase this year in the solid waste utility bill.
Council will also consider a recommendation for a pilot project to collect food waste in a Green Bin program for multi-family housing units. It would run from July through December at several complexes comprising about 200 units.
Metro Vancouver's new solid waste plan sets a minimum target of 65 per cent landfill diversion by 2015 for the single-family residential sector and an overall 70 per cent diversion target for all sectors combined. One of the key strategies is the collection and processing of food waste, comprising an estimated 21 per cent of waste disposed in the region.
