Yukon Territory Composting Program

Government of Yukon, Department of Community Services

Seeking ways to reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and waste management costs, the Yukon Government turned to BCE for help with creating an appropriate composting program for the territory. Up to now organics separation and composting services were not offered at regional transfer stations and landfill sites outside of the city of Whitehorse. As part of the governments overall program of modernising waste management practices, increasing waste diversion plays a central role. This includes the introduction of an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program and a composting program.

The Yukon is a large jurisdiction with a small population spread out across 17 communities. It is impractical to transport organic waste to the only municipal compost facility in the Yukon, based in Whitehorse. With high infrastructure and construction costs in remote communities, building decentralised compost facilities based on more common traditional designs is also impractical. With these issues in mind, BCE adapted the techniques it helped pioneer at the Whitehorse facility, and developed and tested a small scale aerated in-vessel composter suited to the Yukon’s rugged sub-arctic conditions. These units are sized to the needs of the community and can be quickly and inexpensively mobilised at previously permitted waste management sites.

Key features of these composters are:

• Modular road transportable design with heavy-duty steel skid frame
• Easily achieves and maintains pathogen kill temperatures in all seasons
• Requires no special tools, parts, equipment or skills to maintain
• Does not require a concrete pad
• Fully enclosed, weather and wildlife proof
• Heavy rough-sawn lumber walls and floors provide insulation
• Pressure treated with non-toxic preservative
• Roughly 20-year service life
• Requires 120 volt single phase power, or optional extra solar power system

The second component of this project was to develop a composting program that specified the management practices and quality controls required to produce a CCME Class A compost. The goal is to be able to produce quality compost in each community for use in community and private gardens, landscaping and so on. To achieve this, BCE adapted the successful program it developed and implemented at the Whitehorse facility.