What is organic waste management?
Organic waste is an umbrella category that includes any material that comes from a plant or an animal and is biodegradable, such as leftover food, yard trimmings, food-stained paper, and livestock manure and agricultural waste.
Organic waste management refers to the strategies you use to reduce, collect, process and dispose of the food and organic waste produced in your business. When organic material is sent to landfills, it emits huge amounts of methane—one of the major greenhouse gases (GHG).
The benefits of organic waste management
By minimizing how much organic waste your business sends to the landfill and how frequently, you can significantly reduce your carbon footprint. Also, sound management of your organic waste shows that you are paying attention to the environmental concerns of your employees and customers. And finally, policymakers are also starting to introduce regulations to ban organic waste from entering landfills, so acting now can mitigate any future impact from regulations on your activities.
Positive impact on your business
Employee satisfaction
Employees appreciate being part of a climate-friendly workplace that uses proper composting for waste.
Employer brand
In sectors such as food service and agriculture, organic waste management improves your brand image.
Client satisfaction
Show your customers that you care about their health and well-being by diverting waste that would go to a landfill.
Roadmap to better organic waste management
Resources
Find funding for your climate actions
Over 60 governmental active grants, tax credits and loan programs to support the environmental initiatives of Canadian businesses.
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National Resources Canada: Greenhouse gas calculator for organic waste management
This calculator helps users estimate the impact on GHG emissions of different organic waste management approaches.
Government of Canada: Reducing municipal solid waste
Find resources on reducing both organic and inorganic waste, along with an inventory of recycling programs in Canada.