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U of W student starts organic waste pickup service

U of W student starts organic waste pickup service

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As an environmentalist, Dane Fader hated the idea of throwing his apple cores and potato peels in the garbage.

The Windsor native relished the curbside green bin service for food waste offered by Toronto and Halifax when he lived in those communities.

“When I moved back to Windsor I felt awful throwing all my food away in the garbage,” the 21-year-old said. “I tried backyard composting but I was inundated with rats. So I thought, there has to be people like me who want to do it but can’t, so why not me?”

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So began Fader’s business venture known as GreenerBins Composting.

He launched a residential pickup service for organic waste just two weeks ago and has already doubled his target client list for June.

“My goal was to have 30 people signed up but I’m already at 59. It’s been going incredibly well. In fact, I’ve had to slow it down a bit. I wasn’t anticipating this kind of interest.”

Dane Fader displays a few compostable materials Thursday. He hopes to turn rotting fruits, veggies and kitchen scraps into profit with his new organic waste pickup business called GreenerBins.
Dane Fader displays a few compostable materials Thursday. He hopes to turn rotting fruits, veggies and kitchen scraps into profit with his new organic waste pickup business called GreenerBins. Photo by Nick Brancaccio /Windsor Star

Fader is using his Jeep and a rented trailer for weekly pickup and delivery of his composting bins. He’s established some community partnerships with farms and gardens for the compost and also offers it back to his customers.

“This has really taken off,” he said. “I haven’t even had time to do any hiring.”

He’s already had to make three trips to his Toronto-area supplier of the used five-gallon pails he re-labels as GreenerBins.

“Ideally the bins should be completely green but I think people understand using these pails is more eco-friendly. I just slap a sticker on it.”

The pails have a lid so they’re airtight, waterproof and pest proof.

“There’s no mess and no smell and we take the entire bin and replace it with a clean empty bin.”

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For $30 per month, clients load up their bins with all manner of fruits, vegetables, egg shells, meat products, bones, dairy products, bread, tea bags, coffee grinds, grass clippings and animal hair and leave it on their porch once a week for pickup.

Fader takes all the collected waste to an organic farm in Cottam where it’s mixed with hay and manure. When it’s finished compost, customers can get three free returns or donate their share to a community garden.

Right now, Fader is servicing LaSalle, Windsor and Tecumseh but he’s fielded lots of interest throughout the county.

“I’m looking to expand there as soon as possible,” he said. “There’s an incredible opportunity to build and expand.”

Fader may now become a part-time student for his second year of environmental studies this fall at the University of Windsor.

“I don’t want to take any energy away from the business.”

He got startup help from the RBC Summer Founders Program run through the university’s EPICentre.

The Ontario government launched an organics action plan earlier this year aimed at a potential ban on organic waste in landfills by 2025. The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change estimates that Ontario generates 3.7 million tonnes of organic waste per year. Organic waste in landfills produces methane gas which is bad for both the environment and the earth.

If organic waste is banned, municipalities would have to provide a removal service.

“I really do hope (a ban) happens,” Fader said. “I’d be happy just from an environmental point of view but nothing says it has to be the city that operates the service. I’ve got seven years to build and grow and expand. I’ve got that much time to put myself in a position to be an option. That would be my dream.”

mcaton@postmedia.com

twitter.com/winstarcaton

Dane Fader hopes to turn rotting fruits, veggies and kitchen scraps into profit with his new organic waste pickup business called GreenerBins.
Dane Fader hopes to turn rotting fruits, veggies and kitchen scraps into profit with his new organic waste pickup business called GreenerBins. Photo by Nick Brancaccio /Windsor Star
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