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Composting Facility
Organics include yard waste, lawn trimmings, meat, fish, bones and food scraps, and soiled and wet paper products. All of which can be processed
and turned into valuable compost.
The organics you place in your green bins are delivered to the Community Recycling Centre, and go through the following process:
How It Works
First, the organic material is dumped onto a tipping floor and employees inspect and remove large contaminants. The material then travels along a conveyor belt, where a visual inspection is done to ensure that further, smaller contaminants (plastics, foil, styrofoam) have been removed before the organic material is shredded.
Next a large paddle is used to mix the raw material in a vessel which resembles an oversized metal drum. Wood chips are often added to absorb excess moisture and to create the correct consistency for decomposition to occur. Aeration beds at the bottom of the vessel, below the organic material continuously pump oxygen drawn from outside, into the food waste, encouraging bacterial growth. As the microorganisms begin to flourish inside the pile, heat is generated, destroying harmful bacteria. The microorganisms break down the food scraps into compost. Composting facility staff carefully monitor the oxygen levels, feedstock introduced (organic material) and moisture levels to encourage microorganism growth, which breaks down the organic material.
Considerable amounts of moisture are also released through evaporation during this process. This moisture is drawn out of the composting building by industrial fans and pushed through a bio-filter which consists of piping and a field of cedar chips at the end of the piping. The bio-filter minimizes odour as the air is expelled outside.
The organic material remains in the vessel for five weeks, then it is then passed over a shaker screen and piled into windrows where it will remain for almost a year. Windrows are long piles of composted materials that are aerated by turning the pile periodically. All compost produced and windrowed is tested for metal and mineral levels and reported to Nova Scotia Environment in accordance with the composting facility's operating permit.
The compost produced at the Community Recycling Centre is relatively high in organic content and nitrogen, and is comparable to commercial products used to improve the quality of soil.
Compost was previously sold to businesses and residents. Sales have stopped as the compost is being used for an innovative project on-site. All available compost produced is currently being used as part of a permanent multi-landfill cell capping process whereby finished compost is used as the top layer. The compost is then hydroseeded to complete the final layer. The use of compost saves taxpayers money by using finished compost instead of purchasing soil from outside sources.
Click here for more information on composting.
Construction and Demolition Site
The following construction and demolition (C&D) wastes are accepted at the Community Recycling Centre and must be sorted as follows:
Each of these materials are delivered to a separate pile on-site:
- Brush
- Clean wood (unpainted or treated), chipboard
- Painted wood: finished, pressure-treated, wolmanized, creosoted
- Asphalt shingles: free of tar paper, plastic and flashing
- Bricks, concrete and cinder blocks
- Metals: appliances (freon from fridges, air conditioners and freezers drained are on-site), swing sets, lawn mowers, empty drums with one end removed, and metal tanks that have been cut in half and drained
The following C&D wastes are taken to LRCRC's Public Drop Off Bins or Landfill Transfer Station, depending upon volumes. The Scale House Operator will direct site users accordingly. These materials do not have to be delivered to a separate area, with the exception of windows:
- Drywall (separated from wood)
- House wrap
- Insulation
- Windows (delivered to Transfer Station to avoid injury from broken glass at Public Drop Off Bins)
- Vinyl siding
Read about the disposal requirements for construction and demolition waste, in accordance with the Nova Scotia Environment Act.
View our construction and demolition waste sorting guide before delivering materials to the Lunenburg Regional Community Recycling Centre.
Household Hazardous Waste Depot
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) is waste generated in our homes which poses a risk to health, safety, or the environment. Throwing HHW in the trash or pouring it down the drain can be dangerous to your family and our environment.
Look for hazard symbols on packaging which indicate whether a material is corrosive, flammable, reactive or poisonous. If unsure, please conatct the Community Recycling Centre at 543-2991.
Please note, this service is for residents and their household waste only. We do not accept commercial hazardous waste. For a list of commercial HHW disposal companies read or print our HHW brochure.
The Community Recycling Centre accepts the following HHW free of charge:
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- Large Household batteries
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Used oil should be dropped off here at the Community Recycling Centre, at your nearest oil retailer.
Leftover household paint can be dropped off here at the Community Recycling Centre or returned to your nearest ENVIRO-DEPOT™.
Transfer Station
A waste transfer station is a facility where garbage is stored on a temporary basis until it is trucked to a landfill.
Why a transfer station?
The Province of Nova Scotia established environmental regulations that required all landfills in the Province to meet very stringent environmental standards by January 1, 2006. Our old landfill did not meet these requirements and building a new landfill site was a very expensive proposition.
The Municipality of the District of Chester was moving forward with a second generation landfill at Kaizer Meadows, so we partnered with them to dispose of our landfill.
We constructed a transfer station here on site, and on January 1, 2006, began transporting landfill to Kaizer Meadows. This change was seamless. Landfill is still collected at the curbside and customers can still bring landfill to the Community Recycling Centre.
For more information on Kaiser Meadows, visit their website.
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