COLD LAKE - City of Cold Lake council officially approved the Municipal Food Cycler Pilot Program Policy at the Oct. 8 regular council meeting. The program aims to reduce food waste in the community through an organic recycling initiative.
The initiative gained momentum following a virtual presentation by Jacob Hanlon from Food Cycle Science to City Council on Aug. 13. During the presentation, he proposed the program as a solution for diverting food waste from municipal landfills. After the presentation, the concept was forwarded to the Corporate Priorities Committee for further evaluation.
The recent approval follows recommendations made during the Sept. 17 meeting of the Corporate Priorities Committee (CPC).
“At the last CPC meeting on Sept. 17, the administration provided a report regarding an alternate organic recycling program in the community by implementing a system and also presented a pilot program, draft one,” said Azam Khan, Cold Lake’s General Manager of Infrastructure Services.
The pilot program will be limited to 100 participants, which represents approximately two per cent of current account holders in the City of Cold Lake. Khan elaborated on the program's logistics, explaining, “We are as administration recommending as a pilot program 100 units to be rolled out. And what we are suggesting is we have four different waste collection zones.”
To ensure equitable distribution, 25 units will be allocated per waste collection zone, with two units per zone reserved for multifamily dwellings that do not have access to organic waste collection services, according to information from the City of Cold Lake.
Khan spoke about the importance of this distribution strategy, stating, “That will allocate 100 units in the community, but in case of over-subscription or under-subscription, the City can go back and adjust the allocation based on how registration will go.”
The City will collaborate with Food Cycle Science, acquiring the units at a discounted rate.
“Based on CPC discussions, the City will allocate about $10,000 to the program that comes out to be $100 per unit discount,” said Khan. Residents will contribute between $200 and $300 for their units, depending on the model selected.
The City will also manage the registration process through an online form developed in partnership with Food Cycle Science.
Coun. Bill Parker shared his personal experience with the Food Cycler, describing its practicality and effectiveness. “I purchased a unit myself, and the unit is about the size of a bread maker. It consists of just a locking top and a basket on the inside.”
The pilot program is set to last 12 weeks, during which participants will track usage of the Food Cycler and complete an exit survey. Data collected will help assess the program's impact on food waste diversion and sustainability goals in Cold Lake.
Council approved an amendment to the 2024 Operating Budget to allocate $10,000 for the program rollout from the contingency fund.
