Last week the City of Surrey approved a new residential waste collection contract with BFI Canada aimed at reducing emissions and diverting waste from the landfill.
Organics collected from Surrey homeowners will eventually be turned into gas, which will then be used to help power BFI Canada’s new fleet of compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks.
The new CNG trucks emit 23% less carbon and 90% fewer air particulates than diesel trucks.
Under the program, Surrey homeowners will separate yard and organic kitchen waste from their regular garbage, which will be collected separately. The move is intended to help the city meet its 70% waste diversion target before 2015.
The organic waste will be delivered to Surrey’s proposed organics biofuel facility. Once the facility is operating, it will process the waste into fuel to power the trucks.
Mayor Dianne Watts said “The city underwent an extensive consultation process and found that 90% of residents supported an organics curbside collection program.”
Watts added that the program revealed that residential garbage was reduced by 45% in the pilot areas.
The new services are scheduled to come into effect on October 1, 2012. Municipal waste collection rates will not be increased as a result of the new contract.
Jennifer Harrison
@JHarrisonBIV