Food scraps recycling boon to Richmond company

A Richmond, B.C., composting company is reaping the benefits of a move to divert all food scraps away from the landfill.

The City of Vancouver is now joining other municipalities in sending food scraps to Fraser Richmond Soil and Fibre.

Spokesman Steve Aujla said the company is happy to see Vancouver move towards recycling more waste.

"Last year they started the program where residents could put out fruit and vegetables and coffee grinds, and they are starting a pilot project where they will be introducing full food scraps, including meats and dairy, so this is just the next phase." 

Vancouver hopes to expand the program early next year to include all food scraps.

Fraser Richmond Soil and Fibre diverts an estimated 200,000 metric tons of yard and food waste from the landfill annually.

"Close to half a million yards of finished product returning back into local parks and environments throughout the Lower Mainland," Aujla said.

The material is turned into soil and sold to municipalities, landscapers and retail stores to be used in gardens or community greenspaces.

Next spring, the company plans to open a new digester that will take the methane gas from that material and turn it into something they can use.

"We could clean that up and use that to run the collection trucks that collect the organics from the curb," Aujla said.

The Richmond composting facility also helps with the necessary dredging of the Fraser River.

The Port Authority drops off about 100,000 cubic metres of sand every year, which is blended into the composted soil.