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City’s compost wins organic approval

The City of Whitehorse announced at an April 3 committee meeting that the city’s compost has been approved by the Organic Materials Review Institute.

The City of Whitehorse announced at an April 3 committee meeting that the city’s compost has been approved by the Organic Materials Review Institute.

This means that while all the material in the compost has not been derived from certified organic sources it is approved for use in organic gardens, said Peter O’Blenes, director of infrastructure and operations for the City of Whitehorse.

“This is significant because it means what we are producing is a high quality,” O’Blenes said.

The compost is collected by the city and available for sale in bags or bulk at the landfill. Under the solid waste action plan adopted by the city in 2013, diverting household waste to useable compost keeps it out of landfills, which reduces methane emissions. It also reduces the need for organic compost to be brought in from out of territory, O’Blenes said.

The product appears to be in demand, as sales of this locally produced compost doubled between 2015 to 2016. The city sold $50,500 worth compost last year.

“Whatever compost we produced last year (in 2016) we sold with almost nothing left over,” O’Blenes said.

OMRI products are designed for use in accordance with Canadian Organic Regime standards. People with certified organic gardens — meaning that they are licensed to sell organic produce — should still check with their CFIA certifier to ensure their status will not be affected by its use, O’Blenes said.