The Témiscouata Intermunicipal Waste Board (RIDT) relies on citizen composting to meet the obligation to reduce the production of organic matter. Throughout the month of June and part of July, 9600 composting bins will be distributed to the population of Témiscouata.
Collecting a brown bin would be too costly and difficult to apply in Témiscouata, as the territory is large and the population dispersed.
We wanted to avoid having a truck pass through each door of 10,000 homes each week
explains the director general of the RIDT, Maxime Groleau. The alternative we found was to distribute domestic composters free of charge to people so that they could make compost at home directly and avoid transporting material unnecessarily.
According to the organization, each inhabitant of Témiscouata produces 270 kg of waste per year, more than a third of which is composed of compostable materials.
What’s more, the initiative enables citizens to save. According to the RIDT, the whole of Témiscouata will save $350,000 by avoiding a third collection. That amounts to $45 per household, which we don’t have to pay because the bins are completely free. It solves a problem and it saves us in municipal taxes
supports the municipal councilor of Biencourt Daniel Dumont.
Civic discipline
Public information sessions will be held throughout the territory in the coming weeks. Saturday morning, the citizens of Biencourt were able to attend a presentation and receive a domestic composter for free. Some residents were already convinced, others need more time.
We were looking for a more ecological way of life, more in contact with nature. I even wanted to buy a compost, and there for free, I received a composter. I am very happy
says resident Kelaine Azevedo.
Réal Jean is more reluctant. Composting has always been like this for me: bad smells can attract bugs. [La séance d’information à Biencourt] It convinced me a little, but not yet 100%.
” What we are trying to explain to people, by making the effort themselves for the whole of the community, at the moment, it costs them nothing more. »
The director general of the Régie recognizes that the biggest challenge will be to convince residents to anchor the practice in their habits.
About 20% of people were already composting, notes the director general of the RIDT. We see the enthusiasm that people have to try. But we are going to have awareness work so that people continue to do so.
he believes.
For institutions, 120 large format bins will be installed across all municipalities in the MRC from the end of June. The contents will then be sent once a week to the biomethanation plant of the SOW to Cacouna for treatment. The RIDT has entered into an agreement for approximately two and a half years for these matters to be dealt with there.
Those who do not wish to compost at their place of residence can carry their organic matter in these commercial containers, explains Maxime Groleau.
The implementation of this organic matter management project represents investments of nearly $1.2 million. The Régie obtained various grants to carry out this project and will therefore have to assume a portion of the costs of approximately $250,000.
With information from Fabienne Tercaeffs
Reference-ici.radio-canada.ca