City Hall is bringing back an innovative composting program for the community, aimed to cut down on household waste.

The City of Kenora says in partnership with the Food Cycle Science Corporation, they plan to purchase 250 FoodCycler machines at a subsidized price for residents to use in their homes for a 12-week period, where you track the amount of food waste you’ve diverted through the program.

FoodCyclers use heat to break down food waste including vegetables, chicken bones, bread and other things you can’t normally compost, and makes what it calls “a nutrient-rich soil amendment that can be added to plants/gardens or pelletized for home heating purposes.”

The city offered the initial pilot program in the fall of 2021, which sold out in six days. This year, the city plans to expand the program after the first year’s success. Now, two units will be offered and the city will be subsidizing replacement filters and additional storage buckets.

Chief Administrative Officer, Kyle Attanasio, says it’s costing the city about $85,000.

The city says the FC-30 unit, the same that was issued last year, will be available for $150 plus HST, compared to its usual price of about $500. The larger unit, the Maestro, will be available for $300 plus HST – down from $750.

Residents are asked to register online on a first-come, first-served basis with only one unit per household allowed. Registration will open on February 6, and the program will begin this spring.

The city notes priority will be given to City residents who did not participate in 2021’s program, but if units are leftover, those living in unincorporated areas may sign up as well. Any questions can be sent to dfarion@kenora.ca or to 807-467-2188.

The Food Cycle Science Corporation is based out of Ottawa and was founded in 2011. They run similar projects in 44 Ontario communities, including Fort Frances, Red Lake and Terrace Bay.

(With files from Ryan Forbes)