Food Waste

Food Waste is collected across all 4 government districts on the Sunshine Coast and brought to Salish Soils to be processed including the Town of Gibsons, District of Sechelt, the Sunshine Coast Regional District, and the shíshálh Nation.

After transported to Salish Soils site, the Food Waste is prepared for the composting process to create Class A compost. After being mixed with the proper amount of carbon and water, the mixture is placed in aerated channels and covered with a membrane utilizing Gore technology. The carbon source is from ground up Green Waste dropped off at Salish Soils from residential and commercial customers.

The mixture is constantly monitored, and the air flow is adjusted to reach OMRR (Organic Matter Recycling Regulation of British Columbia) guidelines of 55°C for a minimum of three days to kill weed seeds and pathogens. The mixture is flipped after 3 weeks to reintroduce oxygen, and if required, additional water is added. After an additional 3 weeks, the mixture is removed from the bay and placed in curing piles for a minimum of 5 months. After curing, the mixture is screened to remove the larger woody material, and any other potential contamination that may have been introduced, and is now ready to be sold. The entire compost process takes a minimum of 6 months to achieve Class A compost.

The Food Waste Compost is sold as Food compost and used to create Garden Soil.