The City of Edmonton's green vision aimed at diverting residential waste away from landfills is now underway.

Now that the Clover Bar Landfill has reached capacity, the city is opening a facility that will help divert 90 per cent of residential waste from landfills.

The Integrated Processing and Transfer Facility (IPTF) separates and processes both residential and commercial waste into various streams for composting, recycling, landfill and biofuels production.

"The Integrated Transfer and Processing Facility is another step in the evolution of our sustainable waste management system," said Roy Neehall, manager, City of Edmonton Waste Management Branch.

In the first phase of IPTF operations the waste, formerly brought to the Clover Bar Landfill, will be transferred into semi-trailers and transported to landfills in west Edmonton and Ryley, Alta.

 In the pre-processing area, all residential garbage and commercial waste will be sorted into streams for composting, recycling and conversion into biofuels. Construction of the pre-processing area is slotted to be complete by 2010.

The third component of  IPTF operations will prepare waste for the planned Biofuels facility. Waste that is not recyclable or compostable will be converted to refuse-derived fuel for conversion into a biofuel.

"When fully operational in 2011, it will prepare Edmonton's commercial and residential waste for composting, for recycling, preparation into biofuels or for transfer to landfills," said Gary Spotowski, education programs co-ordinator with the city's Waste Management Branch.

The project is set to cost $90 million.