Organic Waste Management

Opportunity Statement

George Brown College (GBC) is seeking innovative, cost-effective, and scalable solutions to improve organic waste management, specifically targeting contamination reduction, space-efficient storage, and sustainable on-site or local processing. With over 260,000 kg of organic waste generated annually – more than 190,000 kg from the St. James Campus alone – GBC faces pressing challenges due to infrastructure limitations, aging refrigeration systems, and strict third-party hauler requirements. 

The primary focus is on the 300 Adelaide culinary building, where GBC seeks a pilot solution capable of processing 100–200 kg of organic material per day, including raw meat, fats, bones, and compostable packaging. Proposed solutions should minimize odour, effluent, maintenance, and water/energy usage, while fitting within tight urban space constraints. GBC aims to achieve a Zero Waste campus designation (90% diversion) and offers a strategic pilot environment that, if successful, could be expanded across all campuses and serve as a model for other urban post-secondary institutions. 

Detailed information about the opportunity is provided below. 

Context

George Brown College operates multiple campuses across Toronto, including St. James, Casa Loma, Waterfront, and a student residence, collectively generating over 260,000 kg of organic waste annually. The largest contributor is the St. James Campus – primarily the 300 Adelaide culinary building, which alone produces over 190,000 kg of waste per year. This location will host the pilot project, with potential for broader adoption College-wide upon success.

Additionally, George Brown College aims to pursue a Zero Waste campus status in the future (90% diversion rate) and as such wishes to address its organic waste volumes to support this goal.

George Brown College faces significant challenges in managing organic waste due to contamination, infrastructure limitations, and hauler restrictions in terms of acceptable materials. While the back of-house waste is better controlled, front-of-house (hallways and common areas) organics remain highly contaminated, making diversion difficult. Additionally, third-party haulers have strict material restrictions, requiring multiple vendors to handle different waste streams. Storage is another key issue - limited loading dock space and aging refrigeration units lead to odor, sanitation concerns, and inefficiencies. The College has explored dehydration, liquefaction, and small-scale composting solutions, but each presents challenges related to cost, space, regulatory hurdles, finding viable uses for the end product, and water usage.

While back-of-house waste collection is well controlled, it remains highly contaminated. Front-of-house waste, primarily from hallways and culinary labs, benefits from better sorting due to chef-led instruction but still faces challenges. The College relies on multiple third-party haulers with differing acceptance standards: the primary hauler does not accept uncooked meat, bones, or fats, requiring a second vendor for those materials.

Storage infrastructure is also a constraint. Organic waste is stored in 32 gal tote bins within limited refrigerated space at loading docks. However, aging equipment (e.g., the water-cooled refrigerator at 300 Adelaide) leads to sanitation concerns, odour, and inefficiencies. Waste typically sits for 24+ hours before pickup (pick up occurs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday by a third-party waste hauler who processes the material offsite), exacerbating these issues.

Below is the annual waste generation amount for the location at George Brown College for which they are seeking waste management solutions:

Response Criteria

In Scope

• Contamination-reduction technologies or processes for organic materials (primarily pre and post-consumer organic waste)
• Modular or space-efficient storage systems
• Integrated processing solutions that accept diverse organic waste types, including raw meat, fats and bones.

o   Note: the system should be capable of handling large volumes of a singular type of organic waste from time to time.

• Solutions that minimize odour, effluent releases to sewer systems and additional material handling by cleaning staff.
• Solutions that have minimal sanitation and maintenance requirements
• Solutions that limit the use of additional inputs at cost (e.g. chemicals for organic breakdown)
• On-site or local processing systems with regulatory compliance.
• Technologies that operate with minimal water usage (e.g., <50L/day)
• Technologies that operate with minimal energy use
• Ability to process approximately 100-200kg of organic material per day. Refer to table 1 for daily production values.

o   Note: These values are specific to the 300 Adelaide St location

 Table 1. 300 Adelaide daily production values as estimated from 2024 Waste Audit

Out of Scope:

• Solutions requiring significant new building infrastructure.
•  Systems with high water use or long ROI timelines (>5 years).
• Technologies that require extensive green space for byproduct use.
• Approaches that do not comply with local waste disposal regulations.
•  System with extensive effluent production

 The Opportunity

George Brown College is well-positioned to pilot innovative organic waste management solutions across multiple urban campuses. With high waste volumes, logistical complexity, and a strong sustainability mandate, the College offers an ideal testing ground for scalable technologies. Effective solutions may later be adopted by other post-secondary institutions facing similar urban constraints. Partners with validated technologies in compact, regulated environments - particularly those that reduce waste-related emissions, water use, and operating costs - are strongly encouraged to engage.

About George Brown College

Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, George Brown College serves over 30,000 students across a wide range of programs, including strong specializations in culinary arts, hospitality, health care, engineering, construction management, business and design. With campuses integrated into dense urban settings, the College is committed to innovation, operational excellence, and environmental leadership. Its facilities include culinary labs, student residences, and academic buildings that together present a unique opportunity for piloting forward-thinking waste management solutions in real-world conditions.

APPLY NOW