Composting Facility in Southwest Nova Scotia

The opening of a new composting facility in Southwestern Nova Scotia today signaled a new beginning for waste reduction in the area.

The H&H Compost Facility can handle 9,000 tonnes of organic waste from local households annually. It will serve Shelburne, Yarmouth and Digby counties.

"This is new facility is an important step in protecting our environment," said MLA Richard Hurlburt, who attended on behalf of acting Environment Minister Michael Baker. "Instead of opening a disposal site, we are opening a facility which reduces our disposal sites, recovers a natural resource, and creates jobs."

The facility is located alongside the existing landfill just outside the town of Yarmouth, an ideal location for this type of operation. It also utilizes proven technology with additional modifications taken from the owner's experience in handling materials of this type.

The facility has already begun accepting organic material, composting it in a temporary portion of the facility which was completed early.

The H&H Compost Facility is owned by businessmen Peter Hadley and David Harris. They have been involved in recycling businesses in the area for years.

"Today we have the opportunity to expand our business to include recovery of a natural resource, organic material" said Mr. Harris. "This will help our region and all of Nova Scotia to be winners when it comes to waste diversion and environmental protection."

The provincial government has banned organic material such as food and yard waste from disposal in landfills in the province. With the opening of this facility, 72 per cent of the province will have curbside collection of all compostable organic material.

Together with universal curbside recycling collection, the province has already achieved a 47 per cent diversion rate from disposal, just three per cent away from the province's 50 per cent goal.