On October 30, 2024, the CRD approved a provisional budget for 2025, which included the establishment of an Innovative Project Work Unit. This decision indicates that the CRD is turning the corner from a focus on waste dumping to a growing emphasis on green technologies to encourage recycling and resource recovery. This shift is strongly supported by the public.
In keeping with this initiative, this summer the CRD Board issued a Request for Proposals from three applicants with expertise in thermal conversion of biosolids and other waste streams into a fossil-free gas for space heating and biochar used as a soil fertilizer.
The Environmental Services Committee is scheduled to meet on November 20 and is expected to recommend a proponent to build and operate new thermal conversion technology in the region.
The Innovative Projects Work Unit will support the establishment of such technologies and hopefully encourage other municipalities to undertake similar waste treatment initiatives to divert municipal solid waste and demolition and construction waste at Hartland, thus avoiding the need to expand the landfill.
The CRD Solid Waste Management Plan has set a target for reducing waste dumping at Hartland from 400 kg/person/year at present to 250 kg/person /year by 2030. The new emphasis on green technologies to recover value from waste will greatly assist the Region to achieve its goal.