Advertisement

Composting in schools: Montreal aims to be zero waste by 2030

George Rose/Getty Images

Jean-François Parenteau and Laurence Lavigne Lalonde, Montreal city councillors responsible for the environment and environmental transition, gathered at Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix Elementary school in Verdun on Thursday to kick off their new waste management pilot project.

Twenty-two schools across the island are set to participate in the composting project.

Last month, the City of Montreal presented its 2020-2025 waste management plan, which aims to divert waste from landfills by 85 per cent by 2030.

“We have a big and ambitious project,” said Lavigne Lalonde.

“We receive a lot of demands from schools and other establishments that want to be a part of this.”

READ MORE: Montreal pledges to cut waste in half by 2030

“That’s why we decided to implement a pilot project in schools, because we think the youth are really great ambassadors for changing our behaviors,” Lavigne Lalonde continued.

Story continues below advertisement

“They can bring the knowledge they have in their house and the jobs they will have later.”

The city wants to educate and sensitize children on the importance of good gestures and reflexes when facing climate change. 

Lavigne Lalonde said the pilot project will allow the city to collect data on the amount of compost schools will be generating each year.

READ MORE: Montreal unveils new organic waste treatment centre in bid to fight climate change

By 2025, all schools on the island of Montreal will have compost, according to their goal.

Click to play video: 'Montreal announces new composting plant in east end'
Montreal announces new composting plant in east end

Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix Elementary school started their composting project three weeks ago. The school principal said that after a five-day week of composting after school daycare, the amount of garbage bags filled went from 32 to 28.

Story continues below advertisement

“I noticed climate change and other stuff and I really want to help it,” said Jaeda Kabir, a fourth-grader involved in the school’s composting project.

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“Me and my classmates explain to the students what composting is and why we’re doing it and how to do it.”

READ MORE: Time is running out and we need to act’: Montreal wants to ban single-use plastics by 2020

Here’s a list of the 22 schools that will be taking part in the pilot project:

Commission scolaire de Montréal (CSDM)

École Ahuntsic, Préscolaire, Ahuntsic-Cartierville

École Le Plateau, Plateau-Mont-Royal

École Saint-Jean-de-Matha, Southwest

École Maisonneuve, Préscolaire, Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve

École Saint-Justin, Préscolaire, Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve

École Saint-Jean-de-la-Lande, Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie

Marguerite-De la Jemmerais, Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie

École Saint-Anselme, Ville-Marie

École Pierre-Dupuy, Ville-Marie

École Joseph-François-Perrault, Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension

English Montreal School Board (EMSB)

Coronation School, Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce

Story continues below advertisement

Royal Vale School , Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce

East Hill School, Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles

Vincent Massey College, Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie

Nesbitt School, Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie

Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys (CSMB)

École Terre-des-Jeunes , LaSalle

École Guy-Drummond, Outremont

École Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix, Verdun

École Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Verdun

École Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs, Verdun

Commission scolaire de la Pointe-de-l’Île (CSPI)

École Gabrielle-Roy, Saint-Léonard

École de la Belle-Rive, Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles

Click to play video: 'Composting Questions at Montreal City Hall'
Composting Questions at Montreal City Hall

Sponsored content

AdChoices