Cdn. government and the FCM are investing in composting services in Calgary, Alta.

CALGARY — The Government of Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) are investing in sustainable solutions from coast to coast to coast.

Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change (ECCC), and Scott Pearce, President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), announced support for the expansion of the City of Calgary’s composting facility to meet the demands of its residents.

The project receives $23 million through the FCM’s Green Municipal Fund and $10.7 million through ECCC’s Low Carbon Economy Fund, for a total investment of $33.7 million.

The expansion will increase the composting facility’s capacity to process food and yard waste from 100,000 tonnes per year to 160,000, extending the life of the city’s landfill and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by about 45,000 tonnes per year. This is the equivalent of removing nearly 14,000 cars from the road. The upgrade is in direct response to the popularity of the city’s Green Cart program, which launched in 2017.

The project is estimated to create 180 full-time jobs ranging from skilled trades to management and engineering during the two-year construction period and four full-time permanent jobs to operate and maintain the expansion.

“Canadians continue to be concerned about the amount of food and yard waste that is produced and are changing the ways in which they manage their waste to help protect the environment. By investing in the expansion of Calgary’s composting facility, we are supporting the city of Calgary to meet the demands of its residents, all while reducing GHG pollution coming from landfills and waste. Green infrastructure investments in Canadian communities like the one we are announcing today help us on the path to a net-zero future,” said Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change.