Collection of organics in municipalities: What option should I choose?

More than ever, management of organics in municipalities is an important issue. Governments all over the world adopt reduction targets of organic waste or ban such material from landfills. In Quebec, for example, the Politique québécoise de gestion des matières résiduelles (In French only) will prohibit the disposal of organics by 2022. Furthermore, the European Union gave targets to its members to recycle at least 65% of their waste by 2035 and to limit to 10% of waste sent to landfills. With these targets municipalities must find solutions to optimize the collection of organics and their management. Another good reason to act on this issue: 40 % of municipal waste is organic. However, such projects can quickly become complex to implement because municipalities must take multiple factors into account. In fact, implementing good organic waste management system can also have several benefits for municipalities. Here’s an overview of the solutions currently offered and some success stories around the world in this sector.

Curbside collection

Curbside collection is a practical method used by many municipalities. Citizens must place their organics in a bin or in a bag and it can be mixed with other waste or not.

This method of organics management in municipalities promotes citizen participation and waste recovery because it is easy to implement. According to Environment Canada, the diversion rate of organics can reach 75% and the rate of participation, 80 to 90%. Here are the different types of curbside collection, their advantages and disadvantages.

Two-stream collection

The two-stream collection allows citizens to put their organics and other waste in the same container. Another method is to place the organics in a separate bag and put it in the waste bin. All waste is collected at the same time.

Benefits:

• Less effort for citizens
• Cost less than three-stream collection
• Enhanced recovery of organics

Disadvantages:

• Sorting of organics necessary before treatment by a sorting line, intelligent robots, optical sorting systems, or mechanical systems
• Higher risks of contamination of organics
• Higher cost for sorting and treatment
• Results do not always meet expectations as some technologies are new
• Less possibilities of waste reclamation

Three-stream collection

Three-stream collection is probably the most common organics management system in municipalities. Citizens must sort their organic waste at source, then place it in the bin provided. The bins for organics and other waste are collected separately.

Benefits:

• Enhanced quality of recovered materials
• Less hazardous materials found
• More possibilities for organics waste reclamation
• Citizens are more aware of produced waste

Disadvantages:

• More efforts required to sort waste
• Higher costs for collection
• Complex to implement

Drop-off centres or depots collection

Some municipalities choose to offer either one or two drop-off centers or depots for organics or several points of service on its territory. They also sometimes combine these two options. Citizens can drop their organics to one of these predetermined locations, after sorting them.

Benefits:

• Lower costs

Disadvantages:

• More efforts required from public
• More awareness programs necessary for citizens
• Increased frequency of collection necessary to avoid odors and the presence of animals
• Less used than other offered solutions
• Useful for smaller municipalities or cities

How to properly plan management of organics in municipalities?

You must consider a multitude of factors to ensure you optimize your collection of organics in your city or municipality. A rigorous planning is necessary for the success and effectiveness of the project. You can consult the Guide for options collection written by Recyc-Québec (in French only) and the Technical Document on Municipal Solid Waste Organics Processing from Environment Canada.

For example, the following factors must be taken into account:

• Collection frequency for different types of waste
• Choice of technology for organics sorting and their treatment
• Type of the container used for the collection
• Type of organics accepted and refused
• Project costs and financing
• Distance to cover to transport organic waste
• Resources available for awareness programs for the population and for the communication of information
• Possible inconveniences associated with the project, as the presence of odors and animals

You can also plan a method for reclamation of organics collected and processed. Typically, the municipalities implement composting or anaerobic digestion, the latter being most advantageous to give a second life to organic wastes. Through their reclamation, those methods may, for example, produce a green energy for heating or a fuel for vehicles and a useful compost for farmers or yards.

These methods require reclamation equipment and, thus, significant investments. If you wish to implement one of these methods in your municipality, you must therefore take it into account. However, some municipalities share a same anaerobic digestion plant or decide to divide the associated costs between them. The potential of reclamation of organic materials collected depends on its quality and its rate of contamination.

Benefits of good waste organics management

Establishing an effective waste organic management system  certainly allows municipalities to comply with current government policies. The benefits extend far beyond the obligation.

It includes, for example:

• Extended lifespan of the landfill
• Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions generated by organics at the landfill
• Better quality of life for the population, because the quantity of pollutants in air and soil decreases
• Creation of direct and indirect jobs associated with waste management
• Potential to make the municipality greener through the use of renewable energy or compost created from organics

Your municipality would therefore undoubtedly benefit from the implantation of a program of organics collection.

Examples of success in the world in management of organics in municipalities and cities

Around the world, municipalities and cities seek ways to properly manage their waste. Good ideas and examples of success are many.

Here are some:

• Robots sorting in Delano, Minnesota

The Quebec-based company Waste Robotics has developed robots for sorting organics through artificial intelligence. The principle is simple: citizens place their organics in a special bag, then put it among other waste, all in one bin. At the sorting centre, the robots automatically identify these bags and separate organics from the rest of the waste. The City of Delano, where this technology was implemented, benefits today from a less costly and less polluting solution in comparison with the use of separate bins for organics.

• Zero landfill waste in Germany

In Germany, the quantity of waste disposed in landfills was only 1% in 2015. How do they manage their organics? With sorting at source, separate collection of different waste, subsidies to encourage companies to make sustainable products generating less waste, costs paid by weight of waste, among others.

• Anaerobic digestion plant in Montérégie, Quebec

Municipalities of Acton and Maskoutains, Montérégie, (in French only) have obtained a recovery of organics rate of  65% in the first year. To do this, they have implemented the three-stream collection on their territory. The winning strategy include a solid implementation plan, a system of collection accessible to the population, the reduction of the frequency of waste collection and increase of the costs of waste landfilling. From 2014, they sent their organic waste to anaerobic digestion plant of Saint-Hyacinthe to produce biogas.

You can get inspiration from their solutions to develop yours.

Build your project now!

Several municipalities and cities have included the use of anaerobic digestion in their organics management strategy. This choice allows them to increase the share of renewable energy used and to benefit from rich fertilizer for their farmland. This is a way to recycle a material otherwise buried in landfill to make it a valuable resource while protecting the environment.

BiogasWorld particularly stands out in the anaerobic digestion industry through its diverse network with a proven expertise. I invite you to use our free calculator of biogas to help you plan your anaerobic digestion project associated with organics management in your municipality. Do not hesitate to contact us. We can help you build your project!