In addition to providing innovative solutions for the reduction of waste generation and waste diversion from landfills, GSI's commitment is to the beneficial reuse of processed and treated organic wastes – compost. Our compost is used in a wide variety of applications including horticultural products for gardening and landscaping, site remediation, agricultural land application, erosion control and alternate daily cover for landfills.
Horticultural Product Sales
GSI produces high quality finished compost that is sold in bulk and bagged format for horticultural and landscaping uses. The bulk soils produced and wide selection of indoor and outdoor gardening products are widely used and accepted by the landscape architecture community, plant producers and green space maintenance experts.
Site Rehabilitation or Remediation
We use beneficially reused matter such as organic residual waste and recycled soil as part of the remediation and reclamation program of residential, mining, sand and gravel quarries, and sanitary landfill sites or for revegetation and reforestation.
GSI works together with Biogénie, EnGlobe’s business unit specializing in site assessment and remediation (SAR). SAR services include environmental contracting, off-site treatment and recycling of contaminated soil, and remediation of contaminated or degraded sites. Biogénie beneficially reuses GSI’s end product (reusable treated organic waste) to complete its remediation of contaminated and degraded sites. Both units benefit from complimentary synergies - GSI gets an outlet while Biogénie gets an input - making sure nothing is lost, all is gained.
Erosion Control
GSI provides treated organic waste to agriculture, land development and construction to prevent or control wind or water erosion.
The use of compost in roadside applications helps to promote healthy plant growth and reduce plant loss. Roadside applications can also reduce the production of greenhouse gases. This is accomplished in two ways. First, by promoting the use of composting as an alternative waste management strategy to landfilling, a known source of methane production, and secondly, through the use of compost itself. The use of compost has demonstrated the ability to sequester carbon within the soil. The following are additional benefits to using compost for erosion control:
- Improves the soil structure, porosity, and bulk density, thus creating a better plant root environment
- Increases infiltration and permeability of heavy soils, reducing erosion and runoff
- Improves water holding capacity in sandy soils, reducing water loss and leaching
- Supplies a variety of macro and micronutrients
- Controls or suppresses certain soil-borne plant pathogens and nematodes
- Supplies significant quantities of organic matter
- Iimproving plant ability to hold nutrients
- Supplies beneficial microorganisms to soils
- Improves and stabilizes soil pH
- Binds and degrades specific pollutants.
Landfill Alternative Daily Cover
Lower grade treated organic waste is used as cover material which is placed on the surface of the active face of a municipal solid waste landfill at the end of each operating day to control vectors, fires, odours, blowing litter, and scavenging.
Alternative Outlets
Alternative outlets are innovative solutions for residual wastes whose content does not allow for retail marketing or incorporation into soil intended for plant growth. Projects in this category are developed on a case-by-case basis because each type of matter is unique in its composition. We continue to invest in the research and development of innovative solutions.