Dive Brief:
- The Region of Peel, near Toronto, will invest in anaerobic digestion to convert organic waste into natural gas. This option was the decided alternative to building a larger waste-to-energy plant in Brampton, OH that would have converted 300,000 to 400,000 metric tons of municipal solid waste to steam or electricity annually.
- The intention of the anaerobic digestion project is to help Peel reach a 75% landfill diversion target by 2034.
- Peel now diverts about 46% of its solid waste from landfill but, after the anaerobic digester system launches in 2021, the region hopes to bump its diversion rate to 60%.
Dive Insight:
Anaerobic digestion has been an increasing focus of the solid waste industry as more companies and municipalities invest in technology to keep rotting garbage off their landfills—not only in Canada but also in the U.S.
Last September, Connecticut officials granted the first permit for a new anaerobic digestion facility, while American Organic Energy announced a $40 million anaerobic digester project on Long Island, NY. And CR&R Waste and Recycling Services is building a $100 million anaerobic digester complex in Perris, CA.
In the region of Peel, councilors support the priority "to step up waste diversion efforts so that residents are recycling, reducing, reusing and composting …" according to a Mississauga News article. Reducing food waste as one means to get closer to that goal ranks high on their list.
