Is organic waste a “problem”? Or is it part of a solution – solutions for greater efficiency, for climate change, for new business enterprises and regional economic development?

The Harris Centre invites participants from forestry, agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, local and provincial government, academia, research institutions and others to come together for a day of exploring potential “waste-to-value” opportunities for organic waste streams associated with the forestry, fisheries, aquaculture and agriculture/food sectors in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), organic waste accounts for approximately 30% of disposed waste – or 155,000MT annually. As NL’s government and industries reflect on waste management and plan for the future, a wide range of stakeholders have noted many reasons to pursue this topic:

• The need for widespread organics management to meet diversion targets.
• Environmental concerns over greenhouse gas emissions associated with organic waste materials.
• Shortening of landfill lifespan because of organics entering the landfill.
• The potential environmental, economic, and social benefits of utilizing organic waste instead of landfilling it.

Both research and practice have shown there are practical strategies for the use of organic by-products (or “residuals”) from forestry, agriculture, fisheries, and aquaculture sectors as inputs for the development of other types of beneficial products. Similarly, there are examples of effective community and regional scale efforts to convert residential-municipal organic waste into compost and other products with beneficial uses. Despite this existing information and practices, efforts to develop effective waste-to-value initiatives and enterprises for organics in NL have struggled to gain traction or become sustainable.

Given the growing interest among multiple groups in pursuing these opportunities, it seems timely to engage in a cross-sectoral dialogue on the opportunities, challenges, strategies and policy implications for advancing the development of organic “waste-to-value” approaches and enterprises in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Leqrn more and register

PARTNER PROMOTION