Halifax to seek input on new composting system - Action News
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Nova Scotia

Halifax to seek input on new composting system

Halifax's composting system is at the end of its useful life, and residents are being asked what kind of facility they want in the future.

Municipality to hold public meeting Monday to discuss new composting system

Halifax's composting system has come to the end of its useful life, and residents are being asked for views on a new facility. (CBC)

Halifax plans to overhaul its composting system.

"The existing facilities are at the end of their useful life," saidMattKeliher, head of the municipality's solid waste division.

Halifax's two compost plants, inBurnsideandGoodwood, weredesigned to handle 50,000tonnesof food waste a year.

Thefacilities are now taking in 53,000 tonnesand the municipalitycontinues to grow.

What to allow in green bins

The province has also adopted new guidelines that lengthenthe time food waste should be processed before it's considereda quality compost.

A public meeting on the composting system will be held Mondayatthe DartmouthSportsplex. Halifax officials expect people will havesomething to say about what isallowed in the green bins.

"Knowing that residents want grass back in the system, or pet wastein the system, is extremely important to know so that staff can work to build a facility that can handle them,"Kelihersaid.

There is also a groundswell of opinion that weekly green cart pickup,done in the summer months, should be extended into September.

Thatcould happen before a new facility is in place.

Designing new system

"We are having warmer Septembers," said Bill Karsten,councillorfor District 3, Dartmouth South-Eastern Passage,

"I've asked them tobuild it into the next budget."

In developing a new composting facility, Halifax could eitherrenovate its two existing plants or build acompletely new facility at a different location.

"I think officials want to find out if people are at all in tune with the idea of awaste-to-energy program," said Karsten.

Residents have until Dec. 1to fill out an online survey aboutHalifax's composting system.

A report is expected to go to regional council by March 2017.