- Food waste contributed 9.3 billion metric tons of CO2-equivalent emissions in 2017, an amount equal to the total emission from the U.S. and E.U. that year
- EverGen Infrastructure is a leading independent renewable energy producer with operations and a platform for converting organic waste in green energy and products
- EverGen’s Sea to Sky Soils signed waste processing contracts with a B.C. regional district, an important step towards a goal of processing 300,000 tons of organic waste per annum in the region
There is finger pointing everywhere to single-out culprits in climate change, and exhaust-spewing fossil fuel-powered cars are an easy target. The reality is that, while it may sound great in theory, simply replacing all the cars on the road with electric alternatives carries several challenges related to infrastructure and battery materials. While the EV transition should remain a focus to address hurdles, an emphasis on responsible waste management can have an immediate impact on decarbonization.
Waste-to-energy technologies, such as those of EverGen Infrastructure’s (TSX.V: EVGN) (OTCQX: EVGIF), are in use today, reducing dependence on finite fossil fuels and putting would-be trash to good use in a green manner. EverGen, known as Canada’s Renewable Natural Gas Infrastructure Platform, is an established independent renewable energy producer which acquires, develops, builds, owns, and operates a portfolio of Renewable Natural Gas (“RNG”), waste to energy, and related infrastructure projects.
RNG is a carbon-neutral fuel that can be produced from multiple organic feedstocks, including food and animal waste and wastewater, that is processed in an anaerobic digester into products such as fertilizer and soil amendments or a biogas that is further refined to be an essentially identical replacement for conventional natural gas.
EverGen designs and builds the system and facilities, collecting organic feedstock from its partners, such as municipalities and farms. The RNG output can be used locally or sold to utilities – for instance, EverGen has several agreements with FortisBC – where the RNG is fed into the existing natural gas pipeline. At its Sea to Sky Soils facility in British Columbia, EverGen keeps organic waste out of landfills by turning it into high-quality soil amendments and blends for use on farms, gardens, and landscapes.
The adoption of these type of systems is critical as waste is mushrooming worldwide and contributing to Earth’s rising temperature. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, about one-third of all food produced annually is either lost or wasted. In 2017, global food wasted contributed 9.3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions. To put that in perspective, that was roughly the same amount at the total combined emissions of the U.S. and E.U. in 2017.
A study published this month on Nature.com reiterated the need for better cradle-to-grave food management, noting that emissions from food loss and waste represent half of total greenhouse gas emissions from food systems.
On February 21, EverGen announced its Sea to Sky Soils business signed multiple contracts with a British Columbia regional district for the processing of organic waste at the facility, which provide for over 10,000 tons per annum. A steward to the local community, Sea to Sky Soils is operated in partnership with Lil’wat First Nation.
According to EverGen CEO Chase Edgelow, the latest contracts are “another step towards our goal of providing solutions for over 300,000 tonnes of organic waste per annum in the region.”
The company also owns Net Zero Waste Abbotsford and Frasier Valley Biogas in British Columbia and in 2022 began its expansion east across Canada with projects in Alberta and Ontario.
For more information, visit the company’s website at www.EverGenInfra.com.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to EVGIF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/EVGIF
