Organic Waste Collection Services

Did you know... About 40% (by weight) of your household garbage is organic material. (Manitoba Government, 2014)  

Minimum Sustainable Recommendations

Request vendor adhere to the following requirements:

• Organic materials collected must be delivered to a composting facility and used to create compost in accordance with all requirements set out by provincial legislation.
• Organic materials should be delivered to a composter that is a member of the Composting Council of Canada and/or US Composting Council
• Compost product must meet the CCME Standard “Guidelines for Composting Quality”.
• To minimize greenhouse gas emissions associated with hauling, the vendor must develop strategies such as:
  • Product delivery consolidations
  • Efficient transportation logistics
  • No idling of vehicles
  • Use of fuel efficient delivery vehicles
• The intent of the carbon tax is to enhance fuel use efficiency and transition to a low carbon economy. Our organization requires transparency and prefers to compensate for carbon based on fuel usage for the hauling service and the current carbon tax rate.
  • On invoices and bills, any charge attributed to the carbon tax must be presented as a separate line item.  The service provider must provide their methodology for calculating the carbon tax surcharge.
• Both owner-drivers and sub-contractors who undertake organic waste collection services on behalf of the tendering company must adhere to the requirements noted above.

Other things to consider

The following steps will help to make the implementation of a composting program easier:

1. Use compost-friendly supplies in the cafeteria such as compostable dinnerware, wooden stir sticks in lieu of plastic, plastic free butter pats and using compostable bag lined bins.
2. Preference given to products bearing the Biodegradable Products Institute compostable accreditation.
3. Determine the cost of compost pick up on a by-weight basis

The Manitoba Climate and Green Plan Act supports reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing environmental impacts through improved waste diversion.

What are the issues?

Organic materials include food waste, landscape trimmings and grass clippings.  These materials, if managed properly (composted), can be a renewable resource.  If not managed properly (landfilled), these materials can create many environmental issues.

Landfilling organic materials especially food wastes generates methane gas, a greenhouse gas twenty-one times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO2).  Methane emissions from landfills account for 2.9% of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions. The moisture content of organics contributes to the production of leachate in the landfill. This is a management problem for landfills and is a threat to ground and surface water.  In Manitoba, it is estimated that at least 40% of the wastes deposited in landfills are comprised of organic materials taking up valuable landfill space. In the Manitoba Climate and Green Plan, composting is highlighted as an effective strategy to reduce landfill waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

What are the options?

Similar to office recycling programs, organizations can separate out organic materials from the waste stream and divert to a commercial composting facility for processing.  This simple step has many environmental benefits such as preventing the production of methane gas and leachate as well as extending the life of municipal landfills. In addition, the finished compost is high in nutrients, has a high water retention rate and is sought out by farmers, landscapers and gardeners as a valuable soil amendment. 

Commercial compost facilities can accept materials from both food prep waste (produce scraps, egg shells, etc.) and post waste (paper napkins, coffee grinds, newspapers, yard waste, cooked meat, bread, pasta, cereal, etc).  Commercial compost facilities cannot accept materials such as raw meat, glass, plastics, metals, polystyrene foam products or liquids.

Last updated: May 2019

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