Canada: Tofino moms turn mounds of organic waste into “Black Gold”
Curbside residential and commercial compost pickup to begin in 2022 for West Coasters
By Nora O’malley
Westerly News
Jun. 13, 2021
Excerpt:
Louise Rodgers and Georgina Valk, founders of Tofino Urban Farm Co., are selling buckets of “black gold”.
Locals can score a five-gallon bucket of mulch compost for $5, and for $10, gardeners get a five-gallon bucket of the finely sifted compost. Made from a mix of food scraps and wood chips, their recipe for soil booster is simple, sustainable, and best of all, has the potential to significantly expand the lifespan of the West Coast Landfill.
“It’s going to be skookum. Change is coming,” said Valk during a tour of the organic waste mixing bay facility at the West Coast Landfill.
Since they took on the Composting Pilot Program contracted by the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District in February 2020, Tofino Urban Farm Co. has diverted about 67 tonnes of organic waste from the landfill. The pilot program involved collecting food scraps from Shelter, Shed, Long Beach Lodge, Gaia, Rhino Coffee and 10 other businesses/offices, plus 40 households.
Shelter Restaurant’s GM Matty Kane said their landfill waste has been reduced by nearly 85 per cent, and that number only continues to grow as they source more sustainable products and packaging solutions.
“We admire their passion for the environment, and their ongoing commitment to reducing waste on the coast. It’s a hard job, and the results take years to come to fruition. Our values are very aligned with theirs, and we hope to continue to build a lasting relationship with Tofino Urban Farm,” he said.
