Biofuel Facility

Biofuel is fuel made from organic, living matter, like plants and food waste. When organic material like food waste breaks down in air-tight conditions with no oxygen, it releases gases that can be captured and upgraded into renewable natural gas and used in place of other fossil fuels.   

A biofuel facility takes organics, like what is collected in your green bin, and converts it into renewable natural gas or biofuel.   

As green bin material decomposes in enclosed digester tanks, it releases biogas that is cleaned and upgraded to a renewable natural gas.  

How does the process work?

The process is:

1. Trucks delivering green bin material enter the fully enclosed facility; the building is equipped with rapid-moving doors and the building’s negative air pressure draws in outside air, preventing any inside odours from escaping  
2. Trucks unload green bin material inside the building and the material is moved into the pre-processing system   
3. Rainwater collected onsite is used in the pre-processing system to separate any contaminants (like plastic bags and wrap) from the green bin material before processing; non-compostable materials are disposed as garbage   
4. Green bin material (now mixed with water) is moved through underground pipes into air-tight, enclosed digester tanks where it ferments  
5. As the green bin material breaks down, biogas is produced, cleaned and upgraded to a renewable natural gas that will be injected into the local natural gas pipeline  
6. After everything decomposes, the remaining material is called “digestate”; digestate is a nutrient-rich fertilizer that can be used on local farmlands   
7. The fertilizer will be registered with the Canadian Food and Inspection Agency and will be stored separately inside before being shipped and distributed for use   

York Region is one of Canada's fastest-growing large urban municipalities and currently has a population of more than 1.2-million people. There is a green bin program in place that collects organic waste from homes in all nine local cities and towns across the Region. The amount of organic waste is expected to keep growing as York Region’s population is forecast to reach 2.02 million by 2051.  

In anticipation of future demand and to reduce haulage and greenhouse gases, York Regional Council approved a 20-year contract with Convertus to locally process York Region’s household green bin material.    

Planning and preparing for future growth and the need to secure long-term processing capacity for the Region’s green bin material was identified in York Region’s Integrated Waste Management Master Plan. York Region also must transition all its green bin processing to this local Biofuel Facility by 2027 as current green bin processing contracts will expire.   

The contract award was completed through a competitive process and Convertus was selected based on industry leading waste processing practices and their on-going commitment to protect the environment and encourage sustainability across our communities.   

When fully operational in 2027, this facility is expected to process up to 140,000 tonnes of York Region’s green bin material per year. It is projected this facility will meet the Region's green bin processing needs to 2047.   

Environmental benefits

The Biofuel Facility will use anaerobic digestion as a way to process green bin material. This is when organic material like food waste breaks down in air-tight conditions with no oxygen. Since anaerobic digestion occurs within a fully enclosed process, these facilities can be located closer to where green bin materials are collected, reducing the carbon footprint of trucking. Anaerobic digestion reduces greenhouse gas emissions and improves odour control at comparable costs to existing contracts.   

Currently, most of York Region’s green bin material is processed using aerobic (using oxygen) composting technology and a small portion is processed through anaerobic (using no oxygen) digestion technology. York Region transports its green bin material to four separate processing facilities across Ontario, travelling between 160 kilometres to 440 kilometres to these destinations.   

When this new Biofuel Facility is complete, green bin material will be processed locally in York Region, eliminating the need to transport it over long distances and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.  

By reducing transportation distance and shifting to a local anaerobic Biofuel Facility, it is estimated greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by 15,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.  

When organic material like food waste breaks down, it releases gases that can be captured and upgraded into renewable natural gas and used in place of other fossil fuels.   

Curbside collection trucks currently deliver green bin material to a transfer station at the Region’s Material Recovery and Transfer facility where it is temporarily stored in a bunker before being shipped using long haul trucks to four processing facilities.   

These curbside collection trucks will now deliver green bin material directly to this local, fully-enclosed Biofuel Facility operating under negative pressure, reducing the potential for green bin-related odours.      

This local Biofuel Facility will produce enough renewable natural gas to heat 4,000 homes in York Region per year.  

The facility will produce a nutrient-rich fertilizer approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) that can be used by farmers in place of chemical fertilizers.   

What are the differences between producing renewable natural gas and natural gas?  

Natural gas (predominantly methane) is a non-renewable fossil fuel. Fossil fuels are made when prehistoric plants and animals buried under the earth’s oceans and lands decompose under intense pressure and heat over millions of years changing their remains into natural gas, coal and oil.  

Renewable natural gas is a source of energy made from biological resources like food scraps and animal waste. Renewable natural gas is a direct replacement for non-renewable natural gas.  

Renewable natural gas is made by capturing and cleaning up biogas to meet clean, natural gas standards before injecting it into the local, natural gas pipeline.  

Economic and job creation

Development of this facility is aligned with York Region’s goal of increasing economic prosperity by fostering an environment that attracts businesses, grows employment opportunities and attracts talent.  

During construction, the project will require fulltime design, engineering trade and construction jobs (totalling over 65,000 person hours).  

Once construction is complete, the facility will create 12 to 15 fulltime positions.  

Convertus partners with local universities and colleges to provide two to three fulltime student   
co-op jobs, including engineering and research positions.  

Innovation and leading-edge technology

Convertus’ industry leading odour control technology, in combination with enhanced odour control measures engineered into the facility itself, are considered the highest standard in air treatment for organic waste processing. The facility will include a state-of-the-art and proven odour control system with automated monitoring.    

Where is this new facility going to be located?  

The Biofuel Facility will be located northeast of Davis Drive and Woodbine Avenue in the Town of East Gwillimbury, next to York Region’s Material Recovery and Transfer Facility at 100 Garfield Wright Boulevard, currently used as a transfer station for green bin material.  

There are existing waste processing facilities in the local industrial park surrounding the Convertus property.   

Currently, York Region ships its green bin material to four processing facilities in Ontario, where it travels between 160 to 440 kilometres to its destination. By reducing this haulage distance and switching processing practices, it is estimated this facility will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, supporting York Region’s commitment to help mitigate climate change.  

What makes this location suitable for this type of facility?

Green bin material received at the York Region Material Recovery and Transfer Facility, adjacent to the proposed Biofuel Facility, will be processed at this local Biofuel Facility, reducing handling at the transfer facility and significantly reducing the transportation cost.  

Green bin material received at the local Biofuel Facility will be turned into renewable natural gas and fertilizer for beneficial use; only a small portion of non-compostable contaminants received will be sent for disposal by Convertus.    

Will there be changes to the green bin program?  

Residents will not experience any changes to the current green bin program. Accepted materials will remain the same.  

Why does York Region want to locally process green bin material?  

York Region’s Waste Master Plan detailed the need to secure a long-term solution that ensures cost effective and environmentally sustainable green bin processing. York Region is committed to mitigating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas pollution and this local, cost-efficient solution to green bin processing will reduce transportation costs and greenhouse gas emissions.  

How will green bin material be processed at this local Biofuel Facility?

Green bin material will break down in enclosed digesters under anaerobic conditions (without oxygen) within the state-of-the-art facility, generating renewable natural gas and liquid fertilizer.   

Renewable natural gas will be pumped into a local gas pipeline and all incoming green bin material will be processed quickly after it arrives.  

How will Convertus use odour control technologies from the Surrey Biofuel Facility and the London facility in York Region?  

This local Biofuel Facility will have state-of-the-art odour control technologies, similar to Convertus facilities in both Surrey, British Columbia and London, Ontario, including a process building maintaining negative air pressure and an air treatment system that uses an ammonia scrubber.   

The local Biofuel Facility will also include UV/ozone air treatment technology and activated carbon filtration in place of a bio-filter system as in Surrey and London. The UV/ozone technology is a newer and more effective technology than a bio-filter and has been proven across dozens of waste processing facilities in Europe. The activated carbon filtration process will be the final polishing step prior to dispersing treated air through the stack.  

A specialized odour monitoring technology includes a detector in the exhaust stack to detect specific odour compounds in real time. Continuous air monitoring will identify if there is an increase in odour that could create a negative impact to the nearby community, allowing Convertus to adjust facility operations to proactively mitigate potential odour impacts.  

How will this facility be monitored for odours to reduce impact to nearby communities?

Convertus has mature operating and maintenance procedures for odour control systems at their facilities. They also have an established process control and monitoring program for odour.  

This local Biofuel Facility will include a state-of-the-art odour abatement system with automated monitoring capability.  

Odour control measures consist of a combination of building design and operational procedures that include:    

• Ensuring all processes take place in an enclosed environment   
• Buildings are kept under negative pressure that draws outside air in, preventing inside air from escaping   
• A state-of-the-art odour control system to significantly reduce any odourous compounds in the air before releasing it to the atmosphere   
• Air-tight digestion tanks, where green bin material breaks down, so no odorous emissions can escape    

The site will be monitored using an automated monitoring system in the ventilation and odour control systems that instantly sets off an alarm when any abnormalities are detected. In addition, odours will be monitored by employees on an ongoing basis.

Will there be public health impacts due to air emissions from the facility?  

This local Biofuel Facility will not result in public health impacts due to its air emissions.  

The design of the odour control system must be approved by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks’ stringent requirements before an Air Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) can be issued to Convertus. Construction activities cannot begin until this approval has been obtained.  

Since this facility will operate under negative pressure, the only possible emission source will be from the roof top stack. Odours produced within this facility will be treated in the odour control system before being released to the atmosphere through the stack.  

Air modelling is required as part of the approval process to assess how the air emitted from this facility will impact the area. Modelling must demonstrate odour and air emissions will be kept below the limits specified in applicable guidelines and regulations.  

Convertus is required to issue annual reports to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, detailing this facility’s data and operations and may be subject to inspections and audits to ensure compliance with requirements in the ECA, including health impacts and nuisances emitted to the local community.  

Is this facility similar to the Halton Recycling facility?  

Over 18 years ago, Halton Recycling retrofitted a pre-existing industrial building to process organic materials including food waste. This facility used a biofilter odour abatement system to get rid of odorous compounds, which was inadequate to treat the odourous gases produced.  

In contrast, this local Biofuel Facility will be designed and built for organics processing from the ground up. It will consist of a dedicated anaerobic digestion facility, with air tight external storage tanks and air inside the facility will be treated using state-of-the-art technology to remove odourous components such as ammonia, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hydrogen sulfide before releasing the treated, cleaned air back into the atmosphere.  

The Biofuel Facility has an extensive air ventilation system and high-speed rollup doors with air curtains at all receiving hall doors to keep odorous air inside the facility. The receiving and the processing building will be maintained under negative pressure where outside air is drawn in, further preventing inside air from escaping.  

This facility and site are owned and operated by The Convertus Group.  

Who is the Convertus Group?  

The Convertus Group is an organic waste processor in Canada, with 14 sites, including four large-scale organic waste treatment facilities in London and Ottawa, Ontario as well as in Surrey and Nanaimo, British Columbia.   

Convertus was created in 2019 when Renewi Canada and Waste Treatment Technologies (WTT) North America merged as a business positioned to be a part of the circular economy. Convertus has extensive experience in organic waste processing. Their London, Ottawa and Nanaimo facilities use aerobic composting and the Surrey facility uses both anaerobic digestion and aerobic composting for processing organic waste. The Convertus London facility currently processes much of York Region’s green bin material with more than 700,000 tonnes of waste processed at that facility since 2007.  

WTT has been in operation since 1996 and has designed and built over 120 waste treatment facilities worldwide. WTT specializes in composting, anaerobic digestion and odour control technologies. WTT designed and built the anaerobic digestion, composting and odour control system for the Surrey Biofuel Facility.

The Surrey Biofuel Facility has been operating since 2017. The facility processes 115,000 tonnes of green bin material from the City of Surrey and four surrounding municipalities. Despite being in a densely populated area, consisting of homes and businesses, this facility has received only three odour complaints since opening in 2018.   

The Surrey Biofuel Facility holds awards such as the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators Willis Award for Innovation, the Canadian Biogas Industry Award for 2019 Biogas Project of the Year and the Envision R Platinum Award.  

What is Convertus’ commitment to innovation and improvement?

The Convertus London facility was built in 2007 and includes aerobic in-vessel composting (IVC), where the facility produces a nutrient-rich compost, used by nearby farmers to replenish nutrients on their farmlands.    

The Convertus London facility processes over 90,000 tonnes of organic material from municipal green bin programs with most of its material coming from York Region, along with several other municipalities.   

IVC technology requires a significantly larger building for waste processing, meaning there is significantly more air to be treated within the odour abatement system.  

The London facility, originally owned and operated by Orgaworld, was purchased by Convertus in 2019. Following implementation of new rigorous Standard Operating and Maintenance Procedures along with an odour abatement system upgrade in 2021, there was a significant reduction in odour complaints. Complaints decreased from 109 complaints in 2020 to 31 in 2021 to 6 in 2022 and zero complaints year-to-date in 2023.  

Throughout this period, Convertus increased engagement and transparency with nearby communities and the City of London.   

Convertus was named a finalist for the Environmental Leadership award with the City of London Chamber of Commerce in 2021 and has been nominated again for this award in 2023, further showing improved relations with the London community and their advancements in odour abatement technology.   

How can I share my comments and feedback with Convertus?  

Convertus has a centralized 24-hour toll-free number at 1-888-996-4559 where anyone can call and report any comments they have with any of their facilities.  

Where can I go to learn more about Convertus?

For more information, please visit convertusgroup.com, call 519-663-4446 (toll- free at 1-888-996-4559) or email @email.

The operation hours will be subject to the facility’s Environmental Compliance Approval conditions. Convertus’ Biofuel Facility is contractually obligated to receive York Region’s green bin material during regular receiving hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for holidays.   

York Region can deliver on Saturdays between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. by request during weeks when normal Monday to Friday deliveries are interrupted by a holiday.   

The York Region Material Recovery and Transfer facility in the Town of East Gwillimbury, where green bin material is currently being received, operates during the same receiving hours.   

How was the contract awarded to Convertus?  

In April 2020, York Regional Council authorized staff to issue a Request for Proposal for processing the Region’s green bin material at privately-owned facilities for a period of 20 years.   

York Region issued a Request for Proposal in 2021 to secure transportation and processing services for the Region’s green bin material using anaerobic digestion technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate potential odours.  

The contract award was completed through a competitive process. York Regional Council awarded the contract to The Convertus Group in January 2023.  

Convertus was selected based on industry leading waste processing practices and their on-going commitment to protect the environment and encourage sustainability across our communities.  

Will the land for this local Biofuel Facility need to be re-zoned to allow for its construction?  

Convertus purchased a parcel of land that was already zoned appropriately to allow for construction of an organic waste processing facility.  

What is Convertus doing as a community partner at their other facilities?  

Convertus has sponsored, led and participated in numerous community events at each of their facilities focusing on initiatives including:      

• Annual Spring Neighbourhood Clean-Ups   
• Earth Day Events such as EarthFest and EnviroCon  
• Local donations to charities or nonprofits such as Make-A-Wish and local food banks  
• Local Indigenous projects such as the Chippewas of the Thames First Nations Composting Project, Mohawk Seedkeepers School Support Project and Pow Wows Participating in food and coat drives   
• Sponsoring underprivileged youth for sports events   
• Tree giveaways   

Convertus will continue its active role in creating positive impacts within its local communities, including York Region.  

Is Convertus receiving any beneficial tax incentives?  

Convertus will contribute fully to the local and Regional tax base and is not receiving any tax incentives.  

Will Convertus provide education surrounding their Biofuel Facility with local schools?  

Convertus has experience participating in the education curriculum through school visits and informational videos.  

Convertus employs two to three full-time co-op students at each facility who often use the knowledge gained at the facility to complete their school assignments and fulfill graduation requirements.