Kingston wollastonite manufacturer makes deal to help climate project

450,000 tonnes of the CO2-absorbing material will be distributed to farms.

A Kingston-area company is hoping to make a dent in capturing carbon dioxide around the world.

Canadian Wollastonite announced on Wednesday that they are supplying 450,000 tonnes of the mineral-rich silicate rock to UNDO Carbon as part of a three-year agreement.

The deal would see UK-based UNDO distribute wollastonite to farmers to be put into their soil in an effort to permanently remove CO2 while boosting farm productivity.

The company is based out of Seeley's Bay and is the only supplier of wollastonite in Eastern Ontario.

President and founder of Canadian Wollastonite Bob Vasily explains how the material works.

How much carbon dioxide will be removed from the earth's atmosphere as a result of having wollastonite planted on farm fields? Vasily says it will be UNDO's job of keeping track of that.

So wollastonite can be beneficial to the environment, but what about its effects on humans or animals?

Wollastonite is often used in place of asbestos in building materials. The artificial playing surface on Nixon Field at Queen's University contains wollastonite. 

Director at Queen's Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy Warren Mabee says wollastonite doesn't pose the same health risks as asbestos.

Mabee says wollastonite is no magic bullet but believes it has the potential to do more.

UNDO has several partnerships with companies looking to reduce their carbon footprint. They include Microsoft, British Airways, and McLaren Racing.

Vasily says these companies hope to obtain carbon credits in exchange for supporting this project.

He hopes this project will put Kingston on the map in the area of carbon reduction.

The announcement comes almost one year to the day that UNDO Carbon and Canadian Wollastonite signed an agreement that saw 50,000 tonnes of wollastonite be spread on to farm fields in Ontario.

Story by Ken Hashizume