Biofuel Facility

The biofuel facility, owned and operated by Convertus, will be a state-of-the-art facility capable of processing up to 140,000 tonnes of green bin waste per year, exceeding the Region’s current demand of just over 112,000 tonnes (the amount processed in 2021). It is projected that this facility will meet the Region's needs to 2047.

This facility’s odour control technology will be modelled after Convertus’ award-winning, LEED Gold certified facility built in partnership with the City of Surrey, British Columbia. The Surrey Biofuel Facility has been in operation since March 2018 with zero substantiated odour complaints thanks to its world-class odour control, air treatment system.

Local solution

• York Region currently ships its green bin waste to three separate composting facilities within Ontario, where it travels between 160 kilometres to 440 kilometres; we can now manage our own green bin waste within our borders responsibly and sustainably

Cost efficient soluton

• Processing our green bin waste locally will save the Region a projected $85 million over 20 years that includes reducing transportation costs by an estimated $600,000 per year

Converts green bin waste into fertilizer

• Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) approved liquid and solid fertilizer will be produced that can be used by farmers in our own community

Generates renewable natural gas

• When organic waste like food waste breaks down, it releases gases that can be captured and compressed into a renewable natural gas and used in place of oil and other fossil fuels

Reduces greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants

• Green bin waste will be processed locally in York Region eliminating the need to ship it great distances, reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions generated through transportation

Reduces green bin-related odours

• Collection trucks currently deliver green bin waste to a transfer station at the Region’s Waste Management Centre where it is stored in an open-air bunker before it is gathered and shipped to various composting facilities; these trucks will now deliver the green bin waste directly to an air-tight biofuel facility, potentially reducing green bin-related odours
• The facility will also include a state-of-the-art, proven odour control system with automated monitoring; this system is modelled after the Surrey Biofuel Facility that has received no odour complaints related to the facility operations since it opened more than four years ago

Fights climate change

• The biofuel facility will reduce greenhouse gases while providing an alternative, renewable fuel source to fossil fuels; by reducing the transportation distance and switching from aerobic composting (using oxygen) to local anaerobic digestion (using no oxygen) it is estimated that this process will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 15,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year

Simply put, as the green bin waste breaks down it releases gases and liquids that are converted into a renewable natural gas and liquid fertilizer, while the remaining solid waste turns into a nutrient-rich fertilizer. This process is further detailed below:

1. Collection trucks enter the facility through a rapid door system; the building’s negative air pressure draws in outside air, preventing any inside odours from escaping
2. Collection trucks unload their green bin waste inside the building, then go through a truck wash before exiting
3. Any contaminants (or non-compostable items like plastic bags and wrap) are removed from the green bin waste before processing
4. The green bin organics are moved into air-tight enclosed tanks called anaerobic digesters where microorganisms will be used to break down the organics in an oxygen-free environment
5. As the organics initially break down, biogas is produced that is captured, cleaned and upgraded to a renewable natural gas that will be injected into the local natural gas pipeline
6. After everything decomposes the remaining solid and liquid organic material is called “digestate”; digestate is rich in nutrients and can be used as fertilizer on farms
7. The fertilizers are stored separately inside before being shipped and distributed for use

Odour control measures include:

• All processes taking place in an enclosed environment
• An extensive air ventilation system and high-speed rollup doors with air curtains at all receiving doors. Air curtains blow air across the opening that creates a seal preventing odours from leaving
• Negative air pressure in the building, meaning it draws the outside air in, preventing inside air from escaping
• Air-tight digestion tanks, where the green bin waste breaks down, keeping odours in
• A state-of-the-art odour control system and dispersion stack that eliminates any odourous compounds in the air before releasing it to the atmosphere
• All trucks being washed before leaving the site

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.

Anaerobic digester

Anaerobic digesters use microorganisms to break down organic matter in the absence of oxygen.

Biofuel

Biofuel is fuel made from living matter, like plants and food waste. Biofuels can be solid, liquid or gas and are better for the environment because they produce less greenhouse gas emissions than traditional fuels like oil or gasoline.

Biogas

Biogas is a type of biofuel and a source of energy, made from organic, living matter like plants, food waste or animal waste.

Compost

Compost is a nutrient-rich additive for soil used to improve its quality; it’s made when organic materials like yard waste, food waste and animal waste decays or breaks down.

Fossil fuels

Fossil fuels are made when prehistoric plants and animals buried under the earth decompose under pressure and heat over millions of years changing their remains into natural gas, coal and petroleum (oil).

Greenhouse gases

Greenhouse gases are gases in the Earth’s atmosphere that trap in the sun’s heat, like methane and carbon dioxide.

LEED Certified

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a certification program to help reduce impacts on the environment that sets the standard to build green, sustainable buildings by incorporating design, construction, maintenance and operations.

Liquid fertilizer

The liquids released while organic waste breaks down contains the nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium used as fertilizer to help plants grow.

Low carbon

Low carbon means less carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas that drives climate change, released through activities like car emissions or burning fossil fuels.

Microorganisms

Microorganisms are tiny living things, like bacteria and fungi, that can only be seen using a microscope.

Natural gas

Natural gas is a fossil fuel and source of energy, like methane, propane or butane that takes millions of years to produce.

Negative air pressure

Negative air pressure is when the air pressure in one area is kept lower than in another area causing the air to flow from the higher pressure to the lower pressure.

Organic Waste

Organic waste is anything that comes from living matter, like plants and animals and includes food waste, yard waste and animal waste.

Renewable natural gas

Renewable natural gas is a biofuel and source of energy made from resources that nature can replace like plants and animals.

Stack

A stack is a very tall chimney used to release air high into the atmosphere.

Where is our green bin waste currently processed?

York Region’s green bin waste is sent to three processors in Ontario (Convertus in the City of London, GFL Environmental in Moose Creek and Cornerstone Renewables Inc. in Elmira and The Municipality of Leamington). In 2021 the Region shipped 111,154 tonnes of green bin waste to these processors.

Will there be more truck traffic in the area?

The location will be designed with a double ring road to ensure continuous flow of traffic allowing trucks to queue onsite minimizing disruptions to traffic on the adjacent public roads; 22 inbound curbside collection trucks plus two tractor trailer trucks can be onsite at any time

We anticipate traffic at the facility to include (based on a 5-day operating week):

• Daily average of nine long haul truckloads arriving to drop off green bin waste
• Daily average of 12 long haul truckloads leaving with the finished material (fertilizer for agricultural use) or residual waste (non-compostable materials removed for disposal)

Who owns and operates this facility?

This facility and site are owned and operated by Convertus.

Who is Convertus?

Convertus was created in 2019 by the merger of Renewi Canada and Waste Treatment Technologies (WTT) North America as a business ideally positioned to be a part of the circular economy. Covertus has extensive experience in aerobic and anaerobic processing of organic waste with facilities located in London and Ottawa, Ontario and in Surrey and Nanaimo, British Columbia. The London, Ottawa, and Nanaimo facilities use aerobic composting, and the Surrey facility uses anaerobic digestion for processing organic waste. WTT has been in operation since 1996 and has designed and built over 120 waste treatment facilities worldwide. WTT specializes in mechanical treatment, composting, anaerobic digestion and odour control technologies. As the process supplier WTT designed and built the anaerobic digestion, composting and odour control system for the Surrey Biofuel facility.

The Surrey Biofuel Facility has won sustainability awards, including Gold Certification under Canada’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system and was the first waste infrastructure project in North America to be awarded the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure’s Envision Platinum Award for Sustainability.

Why does York Region want to process green bin waste within the Region?

As outlined in the SM4RT Living Plan, York Region needed to secure a long-term solution that ensures the continuation of green bin processing in a cost effective and environmentally sustainable way. York Region is committed to fighting climate change by reducing greenhouse gas pollution as outlined in the Region’s Climate Change Action Plan. For these reasons the Region chose this local, cost-efficient solution to its green bin processing to reduce transportation costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

Will there be changes to the green bin program?

Residents will not experience any changes to the current green bin program; accepted materials and collection schedules will remain the same.

What is biofuel?

Biofuel is fuel made from living matter, like plants and food waste. Biofuels are better for the environment because they produce less greenhouse gas emissions than traditional fuels like gasoline.

How will the processed green bin waste be used?

As the green bin waste breaks down a biogas primarily made of methane is produced. The biogas is cleaned and upgraded to a renewable natural gas (RNG) that will be injected into a local natural gas pipeline. The remaining solid and liquid organic material at the end of the process is referred to as “digestate”. Digestate is rich in nutrients and can be used as a fertilizer by local farmers.

Can residents purchase the fertilizer produced for their own use?

No. The final product will not be available for residential use but will be sold to local farmers.

How will this facility be monitored for odours?

The facility will include a state-of-the-art, proven odour control system with automated monitoring; this system will be like the Surrey Biofuel facility that has received no odour complaints related to the facility operations since operations began more than four years ago.

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

• Ensuring all processes take place in an enclosed environment
• An extensive air ventilation system and high-speed rollup doors with air curtains at all receiving doors. Air curtains blows a stream of air across the opening to create an air seal keeping any odorous air inside the building. Also, these buildings will be kept under negative pressure that draws the outside air in, preventing inside air from escaping
• A state-of-the-art odour control system and dispersion stack to eliminate any odourous compounds in the air before releasing it to the atmosphere
• Digestion tanks, where the green bin waste breaks down, with air-tight seals so no odorous emissions can escape
• Trucks being washed before leaving the site

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.