Feasibility of composting municipal waste in the RDKS

The Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine (RDKS), located in northwest British Columbia, has embraced the goals of Zero Waste and would like to adopt a zero organics strategy for its' landfills. The 2009 Waste Composition Study determined that 2002 tonnes of organic material is being delivered to the landfills in the Terrace Area. If this organic material were to be composted the cost to windrow compost wood and yard/garden waste would be $88.46/tonne or $44.23/m³. If food waste is incorporated into the feedstock costs would increase to $127.19/tonne or $91.05/m³, utilizing aerated bins and windrow composting. From a strictly financial perspective the costs of composting outweigh the benefits. It was determined that purchasing compost to be used as a final cover at the Thornhill Landfill from a supplier is more cost effective than producing compost from a RDKS composting facility. A diversion of organics from the Thornhill Landfill has no material effect on the post closure leachate treatment costs or on the extension of the useful life of that landfill. The benefits of diverting organics from the Forceman Ridge Landfill on the leachate treatment facility could not be monetarily quantified as that landfill is still in the design stages. The capacity of the Forceman Ridge landfill is 50+ years. An organic diversion policy will extend the useful life of that landfill but assigning a monetary value to a benefit that will be accrued 50+ years in the future was not done due to the inherent inaccuracies in predicting something so distant in the future. In anticipation of a zero organics strategy the RDKS should consider promoting backyard or decentralized composting and implement a pilot project of composting wood and yard/garden waste and a pilot project incorporating food waste. Unless the pilot project indicates otherwise any future composting facility should be established at the Thornhill Landfill due to the inherent transportation cost savings. --P. ii-iii.