Facilitators & barriers to organic waste and phosphorus re-use in Montreal

Urban Farm DB summary

A study of Montreal, Canada, examining the potential and barriers for phosphorus (P) recycling through organic waste, noting that currently only 6% of P in Montreal's waste is recycled. Combining semi-structured interviews with 19 key stakeholders, participant observation over more than 1.5 years, and document review, the study identified key barriers and facilitators to achieving a high level of organic waste recycling through composting. A provincial law mandating 100% recycling of organic matter was found to have great potential to facilitate increased P recycling, but this potential is inhibited by a lack of shared vision about the roles of government, the private sector, and citizens in producing high-quality compost, along with cultural inertia, lack of knowledge, and lack of infrastructure. Urban agriculture, which benefits from strong citizen support and is both a consumer and producer of compost, could help overcome some of these barriers, but limited access to garden space and training, and diversity in the fertiliser qualities gardeners want, somewhat limit this potential.