The pilot program will run for 12 weeks beginning December, 2023 and ending on March, 2024. Each household that receives a FoodCycler will be asked to track how many “cycles” they run their FoodCycler through each week. For example, if you fill your FoodCycler up with organic waste and run the machine once per day for a week, you will mark down that you ran your unit 7 times. This tracking allows FoodCycle Science and the Municipality to estimate the total waste diversion achieved over the 12-week pilot program. At the end of the 12 weeks, participants are asked to fill out an exit survey, providing their review of the program and any other feedback they may have. The survey results are used to evaluate the program's success.
Food Cycle Science is looking to receive high-quality data from the pilot program participants regarding food waste diversion, as well as receive high-quality feedback from residents, staff, and council regarding the feasibility of a FoodCycler™ food waste diversion program for the Town of Kirkland Lake and similar communities (data to be submitted to Impact Canada). It would also demonstrate the viability of the technology and solutions in a municipal setting so the model can be redeployed in other similar communities in Canada.
This pilot program has several benefits for Kirkland Lake, such as an opportunity to trial a home-based food waste diversion solution at a cost well below market prices and increasing waste diversion rates, therefore, decreasing waste disposal costs.