Re: “Project fosters waste reduction at regional markets,” June 16
An Earth Matters/EcoSociety educational workshop to show local people how to separate waste and compost can be seen as the West Kootenay way of feeling good about not taking waste management issues seriously.
The regional and municipal political elite of our region it appears have decided we will never recycle 40 per cent of our waste stream. Organic waste in the West and Central Kootenay will be mixed with non-organic matter and trucked in some cases better than 100 kilometres and vent tons of methane from our landfills for the foreseeable future. It was announced by RDCK directors a year ago that the new regional waste transfer site west of Nelson would never compost organic waste.
Nelson’s mayor and councillors have always blamed the regional district pundits for Nelson’s lack of political will to compost organic waste.
It appears the regional district has a financial cash cow in Nelson’s organic waste and no real motive to stop the production of methane that helps with global warming security.
Vancouver launched the Green Bin program in 2013. Despite early to-be-expected problems, they have now more or less ironed out most of the expected glitches and the organic composting program that services 100,000 homes and 1,800 multi-unit residences has reduced waste at the landfill by 40 per cent or 24,500 tons per year.
The company Harvest Power that receives Vancouver’s organic matter produces three grades of marketable garden soils and electricity it sells back to the grid.
EarthMatters and the EcoSociety are not by nature or nurture entrepreneurs. It is important the directors of these apparent non-profit organizations not use our local governments’ lack of responsibility as a grant writing platform and bring their considerable financial resources and gathered esteem to pressure our local governments for a comprehensive solution to this fairly simple problem.
Tom Prior, Nelson