COLD LAKE - During the Aug. 27 regular council meeting, City of Cold Lake council approved a motion to refer the proposal for a food recycling pilot project to council’s Corporate Priorities Committee. This committee will review and assess the initiative to determine its potential benefits for the city and make recommendations accordingly.
At the regular City of Cold Lake council meeting on Aug. 13, Jacob Hanlon, coordinator for Food Cycle Science Corporation, delivered a virtual presentation advocating for municipal food waste diversion programs. His presentation showcased the waste solutions developed by Food Cycle Science Corporation and outlined their potential impact on Cold Lake.
Hanlon explained how these solutions could effectively address food waste issues and improve sustainability in Cold Lake. The municipal food waste diversion programs aim to reduce organic waste and promote environmentally friendly practices, heard council.
“This organization was at Alberta Muni's event and council did attend their booth. They had some interesting products in regard to ideas to be able to reduce organic waste programs and I know that council has raised the question on having food waste programs within the community, especially during the winter months,” said CAO Kevin Nagoya.
Nagoya acknowledged the potential financial challenges of implementing food waste diversion programs, noting it would likely involve subsidizing costs or adding fees to utility bills. He expressed concern about the need for government subsidies and ongoing financial support for the new technology, emphasizing the need to carefully consider these factors before proceeding.
Nagoya emphasized the need for a careful evaluation of costs and benefits. “When you buy this product, the municipality is going to... subsidize it in order to make it available for the public... It needs to be very measured and balanced with regard to other initiatives and costs within the community.”
Nagoya suggested council consider a pilot project to evaluate the feasibility of the program. He emphasized the importance of data-driven decision-making and noted any final decision would take several years, requiring careful analysis of data to determine the program's success for the community.
Council approved a motion to refer the food recycling pilot project initiative to the Corporate Priorities Committee for review and recommendations.
