A local business owner wants to build community composting in Champlain Township.
The municipality does not have a composting program, but building contractor Curtis St-Pierre is collecting compostable materials from local homes and businesses which he takes to a site on his property near Vankleek Hill. Once the materials break down into soil, he sells it back to people for use in their gardens.
St-Pierre has a large tumbler on his property which turns around the materials to assist in their natural breakdown. He said many people with composters in their backyards do not do this.
“A lot of people just don’t do it properly,” he said.
Residents can leave their compostable material in green bins for St-Pierre to collect. He empties the tumbler on his property once a month.
Currently, St-Pierre is collecting compostable materials from a couple of businesses and 15 homes in the area. He said the volume of material accumulates fast.
“It adds up quickly,” he remarked.
The soil is available in five-gallon buckets. Right now, St-Pierre is doing all of the composting work himself, along with running his busy construction company.
St-Pierre wants his effort to get the attention of Champlain’s municipal leadership.
“I want the township to take notice,” he said.
St-Pierre said he would like to weigh the amount of compostable material people are providing him and use the number to show the township how much waste is being diverted from the landfill. He said the township could reward taxpayers for their composting efforts by applying a credit on their waste collection rates for the amount of material they prevented from ending up in the landfill.
To inquire about providing compostable material for collection by Curtis St-Pierre, or to see about purchasing soil, call 613-307-0195 or email [email protected].
Submitted photos
Collection buckets
