87 000 Tonnes of Potential Compost

With so many challenges affecting our daily lives at this time, it can be difficult to find feasible ways to do our part to address climate change and protect the environment. Luckily, Compost Winnipeg is here to help residents, businesses and institutions take an easy step toward lowering their carbon footprint, by collecting organic waste and diverting it from the landfill. 

When organic waste such as food scraps, compostable packaging, yard and leaf waste and even tissue paper goes to the landfill, it decomposes without oxygen, producing methane, a very powerful climate change causing greenhouse gas. While up to 50% of our city’s household waste could be composted, the vast majority of our city’s organic waste ends up in a landfill. Diverting this waste to composting facilities not only prevents methane emissions but also produces a valuable commodity in the form of nutrient-dense compost. Compost Winnipeg was formed out of a recognition that backyard composting isn’t feasible for everyone and that we need an organic waste collection operation that can provide a top-notch service while also promoting a wider culture of composting in our city.

We are so very pleased to say that since our start in 2016, we have collected and diverted over 2,050 metric tonnes of organic waste. Composting that amount of organic waste is the equivalent of:

• Eliminating 1,851,337 kg of CO2 emissions
• Driving 7,126,424 less kilometers
• Planting 47,669 trees and growing them for 10 years

However, so much more needs to be done as approximately 87 000 tonnes of organic waste that could have been composted were buried in Brady Road Landfill from residential collection alone in 2019, producing the equivalent of 78,300 tonnes of CO2 emissions. That’s a lot of compost! Help us divert more and continue growing the culture of composting in our city by taking one of the following three actions:

1. Sign up for compost collection at your home! 
2. Ask a local business or institution you frequent or work for if they compost and, if not, ask them to sign up for our service!
3. Voice your support for the City of Winnipeg organics collection pilot currently under way and for introducing citywide composting collection to your local city councillor!

Together we can turn a new leaf, green our city and significantly shrink down our newest hills of garbage in the process.