Compost Winnipeg brings organic waste to the industrial composting site at Prairie Green Landfill where it is composted in outdoor windrows. This enables us to accept items such as meat, bones, dairy products, and compostable packaging. The Prairie Green Landfill uses the finished compost in the landfill management process to keep trash from blowing away. Furthermore, the finished compost acts as a biofilter to capture greenhouse gases that the landfill emits. If they were not using the compost they would be using topsoil and since topsoil is a non-renewable resource required to grow food, using finished compost is a more responsible solution.
You might be thinking, “What?! It just goes into the landfill after all that!”. Yes, but the difference is that when you throw away organic waste in the garbage and it’s compacted into the landfill there is no oxygen present. This results in the waste decomposing anaerobically (meaning without air) and releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. This gets released over time and literally has to be pumped out of the landfill by vacuum wells for decades after it has been closed. By processing the organic waste separately this problem doesn’t exist because healthy microorganisms and insects decompose the organic materials as nature intended!
Given the size of our small operation, this is our best option to start making a difference and getting the community thinking and learning. As we grow, we are looking at ways we we can process the organic waste into compost and have compost available for anyone who desires it. We are taking small steps today to make bigger changes in the future.
We see the change that must occur and this is just the beginning.
