OTTAWA, ON, Newfoundland is taking a bold step forward in food waste innovation through a growing partnership between local municipalities and Canadian clean-tech company Food Cycle Science (FCS). With no green bin infrastructure currently available on the island, five communities - Gander, Corner Brook, Pasadena, Conception Bay South, and Portugal Cove–St. Philip's - have launched residential food waste diversion programs using the FoodCycler®, a countertop appliance that transforms food scraps into a dry, shelf-stable by-product that's easy to store, transport, or repurpose.
These programs show how rural and remote communities can lead the way in sustainability by embracing decentralized, technology-driven solutions, without waiting for large-scale infrastructure. By offering households a simple, high-tech way to manage food waste at home, municipalities are reducing the burden on landfill systems while cutting down on hauling costs and emissions. In Gander's 200-household pilot, participating households are diverting an average of 255 kg of food waste per year, keeping the annual equivalent of 4,430 garbage bags out of the regional landfill and preventing an estimated 63.1 metric tonnes of CO₂e emissions annually.