Wetaskiwin County initiative could reduce garbage going to the dump by 90%
Global News
The future of waste processing is coming to Wetaskiwin County: a Canada-made solution that uses steam to break down trash and cuts greenhouse gas emissions.
The future of waste processing is coming to the County of Wetaskiwin. It’s a Canada-made solution that uses steam to break down trash and keep it out of the landfill.
It’s the work of Sustane Technologies Inc., a company from Nova Scotia.
“We unmake the paper and packaging, we turn it back into the little fibres and by doing that, and by shrinking the plastic part down into little hard pieces, we’re able to screen them in different directions. And we do it completely, automatically,” said Peter Vinall, CEO of Sustane Technologies Inc.
Every tonne of waste that goes through the system cuts greenhouse gas emissions by two to three tonnes.
The landfills the county in central Alberta currently uses are nearing the end of their life cycles.
“Our residents have asked for recycling solutions, but many times it’s using up a lot of water, they’re getting rejected at the end site because they’re too dirty and it’s just not an economical process,” said Reeve Josh Bishop.
“Landfills aren’t long-term solutions, they’re long-term problems in terms of our indebtedness and the lifecycle of about 100 years after you cap it before you can really reclaim it,” Bishop said.
Bishop said the county has been looking a solution for a number of years.