Halifax-based Sustane Technologies has won the Innovator of the Year category at the 2022 Mobius Awards for Environmental Excellence, presented last week by Divert Nova Scotia.

The company has developed technology that transforms curbside garbage into high-value fuels and biomass pellets — converting up to 90 percent of the municipal-solid-waste into valuable commercial products.

Divert Nova Scotia, a not-for-profit organization that promotes recycling in the province, presents its Innovator of the Year Award to an individual or group whose technology reduces waste. It could use material that would otherwise would go into landfill, or it could offer a more efficient approach for an existing process to reduce waste.

“This recognition is timely and meaningful as we continue to scale our operations and build a healthy pipeline of projects across Canada, the United States and internationally,” said Sustane CEO Peter Vinall in a statement. “We are incredibly proud to bring this solution to market and help grow the circular economy by maximizing value and reducing waste.”

In its first plant in Chester, N.S., Sustane employs technology that sorts through piles of garbage and separates out plastics that can be recycled and be used by petrochemical manufacturers to make new product. It finds commercial uses for plastics that would otherwise go to landfill.

Sustane’s Chester plant is in the final stage of commercialization. The company says it offers to take solid waste from municipalities at a cost that’s competitive with using landfill.

For every tonne of waste processed, Sustane says it reduces carbon dioxide emissions by two to three tonnes. In a year, for a typical plant, this translates to reducing 175,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, which is equivalent to taking 45,000 cars off the road, said the statement.

“Sustane is a great example of what our province needs to solve the challenges of what we divert from landfills and ultimately, our planet,” said Divert Nova Scotia CEO Jeff McCallum. “This technology is an example of the innovation that will create impact for municipalities that need a solution – not in the future, but right now.”