Did You Know?

Food waste is actually a significant cause of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Reducing your food waste is one of the simplest things you can do to decrease your environmental impact! That is why the Town of Conception Bay South is participating in a Food Recycling Pilot Program in partnership with Food Cycle Science Corporation. The Town would be joining more than 100 other Canadian communities using the FoodCycler™ to divert food waste.

The Food Recycling Program

This program allows Conception Bay South residents to purchase an in-home appliance, the FoodCycler™ bucket, at a significantly reduced cost. Participating residents will be asked to track their use once a week for 12 weeks and then answer a brief closing survey. Once complete, the FoodCycler™ is yours to keep!

The Town issued a call for Expressions of Interest in a pilot program and the response was impressive. As a result, Council entered into an agreement to acquire 100 units as an initial run of the pilot program. Using the list of interested residents, Food Cycle Science randomly selected 100 residents to purchase the units and complete the pilot program. The residents who were not randomly selected will remain on a waitlist for potential future opportunities. The survey remains open for interested residents.

Recycle Your Food Waste: How it Works.

Place your food waste into the FoodCycler™ bucket. The bucket can take almost any type of food waste, including fruit and vegetable scraps, meat, fish, dairy, bones, shells, pits, coffee grinds and filters, and even paper towels. Food scraps and uneaten leftovers that would otherwise end up in a landfill are broken down into nutrient-rich plant food that can be mixed right into your garden soil. It’s a simple, mess-free way to reduce food waste in your home. The cycle runs quietly and with no odours or GHG emissions.  The survey link below is administered and data collected is maintained by Food Cycle Science.

Food Waste: Why Reducing it Matters

Reduces waste sent to landfills – It may be surprising to learn that organic waste represents as much as 30% of the waste we generate in Newfoundland and Labrador. Food waste recycling and composting can reduce the amount of waste we send to our overburdened landfills.

Reduces greenhouse gas emissions – When food waste is disposed of in landfills, it undergoes a slow decomposition process due to the lack of oxygen. This produces methane – a greenhouse gas over 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide!

Reduces soil pollution – When organics break down without the presence of oxygen, as they do at the landfill, a toxic liquid known as leachate (the liquid that runs from a dump) is produced. Leachate can pollute our soil and drinking water sources.

Composting reduces the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides – Finished compost (or humus) is a rich, natural fertilizer that returns valuable nutrients back into the soil promoting the growth of healthy plants.

Saves you money and lowers waste disposal costs – Reducing food waste not only keeps money in your pocket, but also puts less waste to the curb, meaning less waste has to be collected and transported.

Learn More

• To learn more about the FoodCycler™, please visit their website and watch the videos on how the products works. Click Here.
• Questions? Please e-mail us [email protected].