Jaqueline Wong reports on a new recycling program at Vancouver Community College’s culinary programs and campus cafes that reduces organic wastes ending up in landfills.
Food scraps and expired products are now being collected and transferred to a ranch near Lytton, 250 kilometers northeast of Vancouver, by the B.C.-owned Northwest Organics, said Wendy Avis, VCC manager, environment and sustainability. The recycling program started in April. VCC is now promoting the program at its two campuses. ‘We will collect compost and combine it with the organic wastes.’ Avis said. Since 2010, VCC has been carbon neutral. No bottled water has been sold at its campuses since 2012 and around 1,300 gallons of organic waste from the schools is diverted from landfills weekly. It has also been exploring ways to grow organic food on campus. ‘In the first three months of the program, more than 111 tonnes of organic wastes were diverted from landfills. That’s enough to fill five garbage trucks.’ Avis said. In Lytton, the ranch turns waste into compost that is dispersed onto the surrounding farmland for agricultural use. The crops grown include alfalfa and farmers sell it to dairy farms as cattle feed. The result is milk products that are 100 percent organic.
The Village Market 
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