Under the IGND, the City will implement steps to reduce emissions from waste and food systems. At the front end of the process, the City plans to implement a curbside food scraps collection program and increase producer accountability for disposal of their products. At the end of the waste stream, the city has committed to employ innovative technology to harness gas emissions at the landfill and use them to produce alternative fuels like hydrogen.
OUR INTERPRETATION
Waste Management and Food Systems has two sub-goals. The first is to implement extended producer responsibility (EPR) to reduce plastic and electronic waste by January 2025. The second is to create a plan to reduce food scraps in landfills and the methane (a potent greenhouse gas) they produce in the waste stream. The food scraps plan was due by May 2023, and missing this goal accounts for our overall assessment of Stalled. In comparison to much of the other work required by the IGND, food scrap recovery is a simple project with potentially major emissions impact. We strongly encourage the City to focus on getting this done in 2024.
