Could composting serve as a strategy of managing Post-storm food waste?

Date: Dec 28, 2018

To: Southern Gulf Island Residents

From Doug Fenton, EP (doug@fentonconsulting.ca /c: 250.804.6480)

Re: Recycling Strategies & Opportunities – Waste food post-storm

Issue or Challenge – how to best manage the unplanned frozen food waste post-winter windstorm of Dec 2018:

• Seafood
• Shellfish – clams, mussels and crab
• Fish – salmon, cod, other
• Other meats – venison
• Non-meats – vegetables, bread
• Bread & Dairy products – send to CVRD (Cowichan Valley Regional District) Green bin program.

Note that seafood & other meat products:

• Are of High Nitrogen content and readily compostable with correct amounts of Carbon or brown material (such as leaves, sawdust, chips or shavings or shredded cardboard or brown paper);
• Composting done correctly takes time (3-6 months) and the correct mixture of (carbon source, air, moisture);

Strategies:

1. Refreeze & Keep frozen

• Then put the spoiled foods without plastic or inorganic wrapping/packing into a composting system after the rainy season and it starts to warm up (Feb-Mar):
  • Chip branches from wind storm to use as a carbon source in a local composting process, OR;

• The CVRD green bin recycling process;
  • Remember to Use a compostable bag, not plastic.

2. Composting – Immediate disposal needed (rotting & unable to refreeze):

• Compost using a surface pile mixed with a carbon source (preferred);
• Initial Site considerations and ongoing monitoring needed;
• not within 100m or a water source;
• For all food waste – Ensure all plastic packaging has been removed.

3. The best outcome would be to Recycle all plastics:

• Wash with warm water and eco-friendly soap (phosphate-free);
• Dry and return to Recycle facility – Bing’s (CVRD/Duncan area);
• Each area may have a special arrangement with their local governments (CVRD) to help manage the waste food through increased access to their green bin system due to the storm event;
• For all food waste – Ensure all plastic packaging has been removed;
  • https://www.cvrd.bc.ca/2616/Plastic-Bags-Overwrap;
    
• Each area may have a special arrangement with their local governments (CVRD) to help manage the waste food through increased access to their green bin system due to the storm event.

Opportunities:

1. Composting on the island would create a local nutrient resource for gardening and farming on the island;
2. Reduce the risk of creating water quality issues, both upland and marine;
3. Potential wood chip source – the fallen branches and other biomass from the storm;
   • Need to source a chipper;
4. Key is to build resilience and on-island capacity.

Concerns:

1. Any significant concentration of this material can lead to contamination of water quality – esp. drinking water and therefore should not be composted in an area within 100m of any well or water body (pond, lake, creek or river);
   • Preferably flat (1-2 degrees slope) and downstream of the resource;
   • During rainy season, a roofed composting system is preferred;
2. Creation of Malodours from the composting process area;
3. Dogs or other wild animals into the waste – messy or animal health issues;
4. Creation of additional plastic waste products in the landfill system.

If you have questions or need assistance about/with these processes, please contact me by email or cell phone.

Kind regards,

df

Doug Fenton, MEP, EP