The federal government is investing more than $640,000 to help Canadian municipalities research initiatives designed to cut methane emissions and reduce the amount of food and organic waste sent to landfills.
The new funding supports five city-led research and capacity-building projects under the Food Waste Prevention and Diversion: Research and Capacity Building Fund. Each project will receive up to $150,000.
Food waste is the largest category of material Canadians send to landfills every year, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. Once buried, it breaks down and produces methane, a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential up to 84 times greater than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. By diverting food and other organics from disposal sites, municipalities can make immediate and measurable cuts to these emissions.
Reducing methane is one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to slow global warming, states Environment and Climate Change Canada. In 2023, methane accounted for about 16% of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions and roughly 30% of the observed global rise in temperatures to date.
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“By diverting food waste from landfills, we can reduce methane emissions and build a cleaner Canada,” announced Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Julie Dabrusin. “Working with local governments, we are creating innovative solutions to ensure that the energy, water, and land resources used to grow our food are not wasted.”
The new municipal projects align with Canada’s broader efforts to meet its Global Methane Pledge commitments, which aim to reduce methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030. Canada is co-convening the international initiative alongside the European Union and more than 150 other countries.
Since 2022, the federal government has invested $1.4 million to help industry groups, non-profits, academic institutions, and local governments develop solutions that prevent biodegradable waste from reaching landfills.
By strengthening municipal capacity and promoting local innovation, Ottawa says these new projects will help Canada move closer to its waste-reduction and climate goals while tackling one of the most potent drivers of global warming.
