Food and organic waste diversion in industrial, commercial, and institutional (IC&I) sectors: A Canadian pilot project

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the impacts of a pilot project convened by the Circular Innovation Council that collected source-separated organic waste and donatable food from industrial, commercial, and institutional (IC&I) waste generators in a Canadian community. These sectors usually do not receive municipal source-separated organics collection services, and there is little publicly available data on the amounts of organic waste generated in these sectors. In the first year, 53 businesses participated in the pilot project, although some entered or left the project during this time. Participating businesses were provided with green bins to source-separate their food and organic waste and were provided free collection services once a week during the first phase of the pilot. Participants were also supported in donating surplus food to local organizations. We observed that in its first year of operation, the pilot diverted 230,637 kg of food / organic waste from landfill and recovered the equivalent of 39,447 meals (at an estimated value of $131,803.76). We estimated that the long-term care / hospital sub-sector and grocery stores generated the highest amounts of food / organic waste. In its first year, the pilot project averted 182,000 kg of emissions from landfill through the donation of surplus food and 2,360,000 kg of emissions through the diversion of food and organic waste to compost and anaerobic digestion. Supporting dedicated food recovery and organics collection services to IC&I generators therefore has the potential to reduce large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, and to provide food for emergency food systems.