The Commercial Food Waste Diversion Pilot, a partnership between Strathcona County, Town of Westlock, and the Circular Innovation Council, is transforming how small businesses manage food waste by making organic waste diversion more accessible, cost-effective, and data-driven. Designed to close the loop on food waste, the program reduces greenhouse gas emissions, supports regenerative agriculture, and informs future municipal policies on waste diversion.
Over its first seven months, the program partnered with AltRoot composting in Westlock and has helped local businesses from Strathcona County to divert 75,000 kg of food waste from landfills, preventing the release of 2,800 tonnes of CO₂e—a critical step in reducing methane emissions.
The diverted organic waste is processed into 38,000 kg of high-quality compost at AltRoot, which is then used to enhance soil health and support sustainable agriculture. By streamlining food waste collection and leveraging collective buying power, the pilot has allowed 15 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access waste diversion services that were previously cost-prohibitive, created public-private collaboration for systems change, and provided the municipality with crucial data on commercial food waste diversion to support future policy and program development.
