Ontario Construction News staff writer
The federal government will contribute $6 million to build a Centralized Composting Centre in Peterborough, area MP Maryam Monsef announced.
City officials say the facility will divert food and waste to a new, modern facility that is projected to prevent approximately 32,000 tonnes of organic debris from entering landfill each year.
That’s the equivalent of removing 25,000 cars from the road annually, according to a report.
“Peterborough has been piloting a composting program for years,” said Monsef. “Our government sees Peterborough as a leader in environmentalism and climate action.”
She called the funding to expand the city’s composting program “a vote of confidence in our community.”
The funding comes from the Partnerships stream of our Government of Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Fund, which invests in projects that reduce carbon pollution, save money, and create good jobs.
Peterborough has been running a small, successful pilot green bin program for a many years. This funding will support the expansion of this program city-wide.
“We are excited about a city-wide organic waste collection and composting program. It will reduce both greenhouse gas emissions as well as our reliance on landfill,” said Mayor Diane Therrien.
“In addition, it will create composted material that will benefit our environment. It’s a service that our residents have long been asking for that we’re pleased to be able to deliver with support from the federal government’s Low Carbon Economy Fund.”
It is also expected that the facility will reduce the need for chemical fertilizer production in agricultural communities and prevent runoff into local streams, lakes, and groundwater.
Under the Low Carbon Economy Fund, the maximum percentage of total project costs the federal government can contribute toward a project varies depending on the recipient. The maximum federal share for specific recipients is as follows:
- 25 per cent for businesses
- 40 per cent for municipalities
- 40 per cent for not-for-profit organizations
- 50 per cent for provincial governments
- 75 per cent for territorial governments
- 75 per cent for Indigenous communities and organizations