Across Canada, the average household wastes the equivalent of approximately CA $1,766 annually—a significant financial burden (based on Statistics Canada / Second Harvest estimates). In Fredericton, Love Food Hate Waste reports that the average household could save up to CA $1,300 per year by reducing food waste (City of Fredericton).

This 2025 pilot project, funded by Mitacs and the City of Fredericton, enlisted the help of 22 households from around Fredericton. Participants received bags, a compost bucket with a waterproof label explaining what was, and was not, to go in. The focus was on avoidable food waste. Compost was sorted in-home by participants, bins were collected, weighed and taken to a farm every Monday for eight weeks in the summer.  

The brief duration of the pilot made drawing firm conclusions difficult. However, key take-aways from entry and exit surveys of participants were that people are enthusiastic about composting, and that behavioural interventions, rooted in theory and amplified by a sense of community support, are not only good for reducing GHG emissions, but also saving money.