How does landscaping waste become carbon removal? At Green Ventures Landscape Care in Kitchener, Ontario, organic waste that would otherwise break down in a landfill and release methane is being turned into biochar. Biochar is a stable, carbon-rich material made by heating biomass without oxygen, which locks the carbon into a durable form that can be returned to the soil to improve its health.
For owner Ryan Hebel, the project is the next step for a family business that has been thinking about its environmental impact for generations. It also depends on the carbon market: revenue from carbon removal credits is what makes the facility possible, and what will allow it to expand.
In this episode of Field Notes, Ryan takes us inside the facility to show how biochar is made, why it matters for soil and water, and what carbon removal credits make possible.