Rocket composter at Villa Angela. Apr. 19, 2018. (Photo by Paul Pedro)Rocket composter at Villa Angela. Apr. 19, 2018. (Photo by Paul Pedro)
Chatham

Environmental First In CK

With Earth Day on Sunday, The Ursuline Sisters of Chatham have launched a new environmental initiative at Villa Angela, which is a first in Chatham-Kent.

A high tech commercial composter is now turning all table scraps at the 50 resident home into rich compost fertilizer. Officials with Villa Angela say the enclosed, cylindrical composter dubbed "The Rocket" will remove six tonnes of food from the waste stream each year and will improve its waste diversion from 32% to 70%.

George Brown of Mass Environmental Services, which is the Canadian distributor of the composter, says the new composter will lessen the environmental footprint by sending less organic waste to landfill.

"In Canada, there's over 13-million tonnes of food waste sent to landfill each year. That breaks down to 110 kg per person on an annual basis," says Brown.

Villa Angela will use the compost for its gardens and the extra 'black gold' will be used at the Community Gardens of Chatham-Kent.

The new project has been four months in the making.

Sister Anne Denomy says the old composters were too slow and filled up too fast.

Brown says "The Rocket" lessens methane gas in landfills and that's good for the environment because methane gas is 25 times stronger than CO2.

"It's forecasted in Ontario that we'll need 16 new or expanded landfills by 2050 if no progress is made to keep materials out of landfills," he says.

Brown says the new composter is in a temperature-controlled garage and turns organic waste into compost within 14 days, which is cheaper for taxpayers because it's being diverted from the landfill.

"Breaks down to $31-billion or $868 per person each year. Unfortunately, taxpayers are paying to monitor methane levels in landfills today," Brown says.

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