Case study: How Saint-Hyacinthe turns organic waste into biogas and revenue
WASTE
|
This article is part of a series called Six sustainability ideas that have gone mainstream in Canada. Each article explores an innovative sustainability idea that may have seemed radical a decade ago but is now considered a best practice. The series features inspiring ideas and projects being implemented in Canadian cities and towns of all sizes, plus resources to help you implement these solutions in your community. |
A wasteful challenge: Like many progressive communities, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, faced a significant challenge: how to deal with the region's organic waste and sewage sludge in an economically and environmentally responsible manner. Saint-Hyacinthe's solution, however, was far from commonplace: they decided to turn their waste into biogas.
Sustainable solution: The municipality's solution uses anaerobic digestion to convert waste into a high-quality biosolid and a pipeline-quality biogas that is then used to run municipal vehicles and to heat and cool their buildings. Excess biogas is sold to the regional utility, Gaz Métro. This biomethanation project is a first in Quebec and the winner of the 2016 FCM Sustainable Communities Award for Waste.
Green benefits: The environmental benefits of the project are compelling. It diverts waste from the landfill and significantly reduces both odours and greenhouse gas emissions. But what's grabbing the attention of municipal decision-makers is its financial model: the project is projected to pay for itself by generating millions of dollars in annual savings and revenue.
Success secrets: The keys to Saint-Hyacinthe's success were getting the provincial government onside and developing the knowledge and skills of their own municipal staff to do the work in-house. Municipal staff conducted in-depth research in Europe and worked with the province to develop standards that will pave the way for future projects.
Interested in turning your organic waste into a biogas resource?
Learn more about the City of Saint-Hyacinthe's project with these resources:
- A pioneering project in biomethanation: City of Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Winner - 2016 FCM Sustainable Communities Awards (case study and video)
- City of Saint-Hyacinthe
- Programme de traitement des matières organiques par biométhanisation et compostage (PTMOBC) du Ministère Développement durable, Environnement et Lutte contre les changements climatiques (in French only)
- Liste des projets en cours via le PTMOBC (in French only)
Discover more sustainability ideas and project examples
Read the other articles in this series for more sustainability ideas and project examples that you can use in your community:
- Cranbrook gains $1.2M in value by using wastewater for irrigation
- Innovative projects prepare older Brampton suburbs for climate change
- Why net-zero energy buildings reduce emissions and costs for communities
- How low-carbon design helps cut greenhouse gas emissions in half
- Ways Ottawa increases cycling with green transit options
This series was inspired by "From Crazy to Common Sense: 'Radical' Ideas Whose Time Have Come," a workshop that was held at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' 2016 Sustainable Communities Conference.
Want to explore all GMF-funded projects? Check out the Projects Database for a complete overview of funded projects and get inspired by municipalities of all sizes, across Canada.
Related Resources
See All
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Webinar recording: Accelerate your community’s net-zero transformation with new GMF funding
Watch our webinar to discover how GMF’s new funding can help you upgrade infrastructure and reduce local GHG emissions.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy | Housing
Webinar recording: How to get a project started, tips for small francophone communities
If you’re a small francophone municipality looking to develop sustainability projects and access funding, watch this webinar to learn how others overcame common challenges.
Waste
Webinar recording: Net-Zero Circularity: Procurement
Watch this webinar recording to see how circular procurement can help put the principles of a circular economy into action.
Waste
Resources: Strengthening your municipality’s circular economy initiatives
Find case studies, exercises and worksheets to help your municipality reduce waste and strengthen its circular economy initiatives.
Waste
Webinar recording: How to start the conversation about circular economies in your municipality
Energy
Webinar recording: The 5 keys to a green municipal project business case
Watch this webinar recording and discover the five critical focus areas you need to address to get your project started, from financing and partnerships to integrating a triple-bottom-line approach.
Waste
Circular Cities & Regions Initiative
Interested in learning more about how the circular economy can come to life in cities and regions? Review the CCRI webinar recordings featuring speakers from leading organizations and global cities.
Energy | Housing
Webinar recordings: Best practices in municipal sustainability
How are cities and communities of all sizes tackling their environmental challenges? Find out from our five-part webinar series on innovations and opportunities in municipal energy, waste, water, transportation and land use initiatives.
Waste
Report: Solid waste management in Canadian municipalities
Expanding responsibility for producers to include the post-consumer stage of their products is a key solution for financial and environmental sustainability in the waste sector.
Waste
Webinar recordings: Plastic waste management solutions for Canadian municipalities
Watch our webinar recordings to see how your Canadian municipality can reduce and better manage your plastic waste through innovative solutions and approaches.
Waste
Guide: 2018 Sustainable Communities Awards project guide: Waste
Learn how to implement the best practices and strategies used by Kitimat-Stikine, BC, our 2018 Sustainable Communities Awards waste winner.
Energy | Housing
Webinar recording: How to prepare a GMF capital project application
Need advice for preparing your GMF capital project funding application? Watch our webinar recording to hear tips from our staff and find out what reviewers are looking for.
Waste
Six sustainability ideas that have gone mainstream in Canada: Article series
In a series of six articles, we explore inspiring projects and sustainability solutions being implemented in cities and towns of all sizes across Canada.
Waste
Guide: Sustainable Neighbourhood Development
This guide, Sustainable Neighbourhood Development: Practical Solutions to Common Challenges, is designed to help you re-imagine your municipality's approach to planning, development and regulation.
Transportation
Webinar recording: Solutions to municipal sustainability challenges
Watch our webinar recordings to learn how you can address sustainability challenges in waste management, transportation and asset management in your municipality.
Local energy generation