Belleville to be the home of high-tech compost facility

By Tyson Leonard

BELLEVILLE – Plans are moving ahead for one of Ontario’s largest compost facilities to be built off Phillipston Road in Thurlow Township.

On Monday morning, Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis broke ground for the facility. Also in attendance were Prince Edward-Hastings MP Daryl Kramp and the chief executive officer of Astoria Organic Matter Canada, Allan Hamilton. Astoria is partnering with the Hastings County-based company David Moore and Son Environmental to build the $18-million compost facility. It is expected to be operational by next spring.

“It’s a total one-shop stop if you will. All types of waste will be able to come in,” said Hamilton.

David Moore and Son will maintain its current contracts with Belleville to process garbage and non-organic, recyclable waste such as plastic. Astoria will process leaf and yard compost from Belleville after the new facility is finished. Hamilton said Astoria will be looking to pick up new composting contracts from all over Eastern Ontario after opening – including taking the material that Belleville residents now put out in their green bins. That material is currently trucked away.

“I think curbside source-separated organics are going to only grow in other communities, so we tried to locate the plant in a very central position in Eastern Ontario to capture as best we could most of the organic raw material.”

Hamilton said the plant will be unique to the area due to its advanced technology. It will have a tarp-like cover system made of special materials to cover the mounds of organic waste and expedite the decomposition process.

“The beauty of the … cover system is twofold. It’s a quick process to market – it’s an eight-week production from green waste to compost. And secondly, while doing that, it’s a very odour-free system.”

The facility is expected to create up to 15 new permanent jobs for the area with more job possibilities to come in the future if Astoria garners new contracts.