Kicked off the curb: St. John's plan to collect household compost on hold

If you've been waiting years for curbside compost pick-up to begin in St. John's, you're going to be waiting a while longer.

In 2007, the city said collecting organic waste from residents was part of its waste diversion plan.

The problem is that the end product is not marketable. The end product would then be dumped in the landfill.- Sandy Hickman

In 2013, it was still on the radar — a job description for the position of Waste Management Engineer included "future composting" as one of the areas of responsibility. 

But more than a decade later, those vegetable scraps, eggshells and coffee grounds are still going to the landfill at Robin Hood Bay.

"Things have changed in the last 10 years, there's no question," said Coun. Sandy Hickman, who agreed the process of diverting organic material is moving more slowly than expected. 

Crunching the numbers   

The city has been looking at how compost collection works in other municipalities, and Hickman said they have discovered problems with the process — and the bottom line.

Organic waste would require a separate collection from garbage and recyclables, and Hickman said there's no market for the finished product.

"From major, city-wide organic collection we can't produce a quality enough compost that we can sell. We can't even sell it actually, it would cost us money to do this."

Large-scale organic collection doesn't quite yield the rich, dark soil produced by backyard composters.

"It would have all kinds of other things mixed into it, and it's very difficult to [remove] the plastic, glass or metals that would be included by accident," Hickman told CBC Radio's St. John's Morning Show.

"The problem is that the end product is not marketable. The end product would then be dumped in the landfill."

What's the point?

That's the question the city is still trying to answer.

Hickman said the plan to pick up compost at the curb hasn't been completely abandoned. 

But it likely won't come up again until 2025, when he said the province may be ready to implement its strategy for dealing with organic waste.

A consultant's report in 2014 identified options for processing of organic waste, but said decisions have to be made by the province and eight regional waste management authorities.

In the meantime, the city still supports the efforts of residents to get their hands dirty.

MUN's Botanical Gardens offers sessions on how to start your own backyard composting operation, and there is information about upcoming sessions online at Curb It St. John's.