Mandatory home-composting coming

Biosolids a focus as Gatineau aims for 2020 targets

Gatineau will promote the manufacturing of biosolid pellets in its water-treatment facilities. Biosolids are the nutrient-rich by-products of sludge left over in treatment of sewage and waste water. Once dried and pelletized, Gatineau’s pellets are distributed to farms, golf courses, etc. to be used as fertilizer. These biosolids are approved for use in both Quebec and Ontario, under specific conditions. When not gathered, processed and distributed, this waste ends up in landfills. The goal is to collect 60% of all compostable biosolids at Gatineau’s water treatment facilities -- with a total ban on biosolids going to landfills -- both by 2020.

This initiative is one component of a much larger plan called the 2016-2020 Residual Materials Management Plan (RMMP), adopted by Gatineau in August 2016, at the urging of the province. The complete plan is available in French on the city’s website (a 225-page PDF). The main efforts of the Plan will focus on the collection of residual materials at the residential, commercial, and municipal levels.

The hope is that by reducing waste production (via home composting) while increasing waste utilization (via pellets), there will be a significant reduction in the amount of recyclable waste going to landfills, which are filling up and which are difficult to expand or open elsewhere. The biggest change for residents, according to the Plan, is that recycling and composting will be made mandatory. One of the Plan’s main goals is a 45% decrease in waste picked up from homes by 2020.