The Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment (AWARE) is partnering with Green For Life Environmental (GFL) on a new campaign to divert organic waste from local landfills.
Landfill stream audits at the Nesters and Function Junction waste depots found compostable organics make up 31 per cent of Whistler’s residential garbage. Pegah Pourkarimi, executive director for AWARE, explained the campaign will focus on collaboration between the public, local government and the private sector.
“We're in very early stages; it's about having everyone around the table bring their input, come up with a set of goals and targets that we want to move towards, and then strategize from there about how that's going to play out,” she said.
But what exactly is a landfill audit? If you have visions of someone getting their hands dirty, you’re right.
“I sat in on some audit training a few weeks back, and it was really insightful, because I've sat there and I've read these reports, but when you actually go through the training, and you get your hands in there and you get dirty, it really puts things into perspective,” Pourkarimi said.
Landfill audits are highly technical composite studies that examine different waste streams, determine what is where and how much is in the wrong location. Then, auditors determine how the waste can be diverted.
It’s not the first time AWARE has partnered with GFL, having worked with the company diverting organic waste at events through the Zero Waste Heroes Program.
Organic waste produces methane, a greenhouse gas. While much discussion around climate change relates to carbon, according to the United Nations Environment Program, over a 20-year period, methane “is 80 times more potent at warming than carbon dioxide.”
Denise Imbeau, general manager for GFL, said in a press release they partnered with AWARE because of their values and impact.
“Businesses, individuals, and community organizations all play a crucial role in driving change,” said Imbeau. “We chose to partner with AWARE because of its community impact and commitment to preserving the environment. AWARE has a long history of exemplary community involvement and broad connections with both residents and businesses.”
The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) has its sights on diverting 95 per cent of organic waste from landfills along with the community’s 2021-26 Zero Waste Action Plan that aims to cut 80 per cent of waste volume and weight using 2019 levels by 2030.
In a press release, Mayor Jack Crompton said the campaign aligns with municipal priorities.
“This is critical work, and it’s great to see it being furthered by this growing partnership in our community,” said Crompton. “At the municipal level, our Big Moves Climate Action Strategy is broken down into many small steps. Enhancing education strategies around proper organics disposal in our community means we’ll hopefully see less compostable material in our landfills, which ultimately advances our community’s zero-waste goals.”
Pourkarimi highlighted that as Whistler’s environmental group, AWARE has the tools for outreach and education to put action to the municipality’s policy goals. They’re well-suited to the task, considering they first tackled recycling programs in Whistler.
“We're the mob that brought recycling to Whistler. That's where our roots are," she said. "So it's ironic that we've ended up right here again.”
