At a special meeting of City Council on March 20, 2023, Council cancelled the Alternative Approval Process to consider removal of the park dedication for a portion of parkland at 4800 Riverbend Drive which was intended for construction of a Green Recycling and Organics (GRO) facility. Find out more.
About this project
The City is proposing a Green Recycling and Organics (GRO) facility to strengthen our commitment to climate action and resilience. The GRO facility would process up to 150,000 tonnes of organic waste annually from Burnaby and neighbouring communities and businesses.
The City is currently exploring options for a possible location.
GRO is planned as a fully enclosed facility, where organic waste would be converted into high-quality organic compost or use by residents, community gardeners and local farmers, while minimizing impact to the surrounding environment. The GRO facility’s process involves the break-down of organic waste in an oxygen-deficient environment, which also creates biogas as byproduct (primarily methane). This methane is captured and upgraded to be used as a renewable substitute for fossil-based natural gas.
This facility has the potential to deliver huge annual benefits, including:
- generating enough renewable natural gas (RNG) to heat up to 5,000 homes
- creating thousands of tons of rich organic compost for local gardens and farms
- reducing the equivalent of 14,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually (equal to taking 3,000 cars off the road) primarily through displacement of fossil-based natural gas and reduced transportation distances
Today, Burnaby residents and businesses pay to have green waste processed at a private facility in Delta, which is subject to significant price fluctuation based on market conditions. GRO would allow the City to provide residents with reliable, stable pricing – even when the market is volatile.