Taylor Clark
Local Journalism Initiative
ALLEYN-ET-CAWOOD – Residents will soon be rolling compost bins to the end of their driveways after the municipality was awarded a $14,242 grant from the Government of Québec.
“This project is another great example of the commitment of local people to protecting the environment and actively participating in the fight against climate change. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a challenge we must tackle together for our own good and that of future generations,” said Mathieu Lacombe, Minister responsible for the Outaouais region. Lacombe made the announcement on behalf of Environment Minister Benoit Charette. Isabelle Cardinal, municipal director general, said the financial support paid half the cost of 400 compost bins to go along with the garbage and recycling bins acquired last year when the municipality switched to the “wheel bin system.”
“Our garbage bins are smaller than the recycling ones because the whole purpose is to reduce the amount of garbage we have,” said Cardinal. “We’re hoping we can reduce our garbage by 45% throughout the year with the composting service we’re integrating,” she added.
The residual materials sector represents the fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the province, emitting about 4.49 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
“We know reducing greenhouse gas emissions linked to landfilling is an effective way to fight climate change. For citizens, residential collection of organic materials is a simple way to contribute,” said Charette in a press release. Cardinal said the municipality plans to
study the volume of garbage collected under the new system and present the findings to council in September 2025.