Partnership with FoodCycle Science for Greener, Cleaner Town
SIOUX LOOKOUT – NEWS – The Municipality of Sioux Lookout has teamed up with FoodCycle Science in a proactive step to mitigate food waste. This partnership involves a pilot program aimed at boosting home composting and diverting significant amounts of food waste from the Hidden Lake Landfill.
The pilot program, set to run from Monday, July 17, 2023, through Sunday, October 8, 2023, will offer residents the opportunity to purchase 85 FoodCycler units at heavily discounted rates.
Participating in the Program
The FC-30 model, usually priced at $500.00, will be available for $150.00 plus HST, while the Maestro model, normally $800.00, will be accessible for $300.00 plus HST. These discounted rates are offered in return for users documenting their FoodCycler usage over a 12-week period. After the pilot program, participants can continue to use their FoodCycler with no further obligations.
Tracking the Impact
Participants will be required to keep a record of how many “cycles” their FoodCycler completes each week, providing FoodCycle Science and the Municipality of Sioux Lookout with data to calculate the total waste diversion achieved during the pilot program. At the end of the 12 weeks, participants will fill out an exit survey to evaluate the program’s success.
FoodCycler: A Revolutionary Composting Alternative
FoodCycler, a product of FoodCycle Science, offers an easy alternative to traditional composting methods. The machine reduces food waste volume by up to 90%, transforming it into a disinfected, odorless, and nutrient-rich soil amendment that can be used as a fertilizer for plants or gardens.
The FoodCycler can process more food waste than any other recycler on the market, thanks to its impressive 5L bucket capacity. The innovative Vortech™ Grinding System allows the machine to pulverize even the toughest food scraps, including bones and shells, into a fine, dry powder.
Economic Development Officer, Jennifer Esposito, lauded the FoodCycler for its efficiency and ease of use, stating, “It processes food waste in a matter of hours instead of months. It is easy to clean and operate and doesn’t require any special training to use. Using a FoodCycler reduces our greenhouse gas impact and reduces the volume of waste going to the landfill. The benefits should be easily measurable.”
Registration and Collection Details
Pre-registration to purchase a FoodCycler through this pilot program opens Monday, June 26th and closes on Thursday, July 6th. Those who pre-register for a unit can pick them up on Monday, July 10th, Tuesday, July 11th, or by appointment in the Development Services department on the 2nd floor of the Municipal Office, 25 Fifth Avenue.
Any of the 85 available units that are NOT pre-ordered will be available to residents of Sioux Lookout on a first-come, first-served basis while they last from Wednesday, July 12th, through Friday, July 14th. They may be purchased from the Finance Department on the main floor of the Municipal Office.
For more information on the FoodCycler pilot program, to pre-register to purchase a unit, or download the Resident Guide to the program, please visit the Sioux Lookout website at https://slkt.me/foodcycler.
A Step Towards Greener Future
This pilot program offers multiple benefits for Sioux Lookout, including the opportunity to trial a home-based food waste diversion solution at aprice significantly below market rates. It promises to enhance waste diversion rates, decrease waste disposal costs, and extend the usable life of the Hidden Lake Landfill.
The FoodCycler, with its energy-efficient design and capacity to process food waste using less than 1.5 kWh per cycle, helps in reducing the environmental impact of food waste.
Food waste decomposition in landfills generates methane gas, a potent greenhouse gas that is 30 times more harmful to the environment than CO₂ emissions from vehicles. By transforming food waste into a nutrient-rich soil amendment, the FoodCycler aids in keeping food waste out of the landfills and eliminating its environmental impact.
FoodCycle Science is keen on obtaining quality data from the pilot program participants about food waste diversion. Feedback from residents, staff, and council regarding the feasibility of a FoodCycler food waste diversion program for the Municipality of Sioux Lookout and similar communities is also sought. The information obtained will be invaluable in assessing the viability of this technology and solutions in a municipal setting and can be used to model similar programs across Canada.
The Corporation of the Municipality of Sioux Lookout, 25 Fifth Avenue, P.O. Box 158, Sioux Lookout, Ontario – P8T 1A4, can be reached at (807) 737-2700. To learn more about the FoodCycler and the pilot program, visit www.siouxlookout.ca.
