Township of South GlengarryWaste Recycling Strategy

ObjectivesWaste Recycling Strategy

• Review and evaluate current recycling/diversion practices• Identify options to improve recovery rates/cost

efficiency/diversion• Extend landfill site life expectancy • To address Ministry of the Environment (MOE)/Waste

Diversion Ontario (WDO) targets

BackgroundWaste Recycling Strategy

• Blue box recycling is collected curbside

• Recycling drop-off is provided at both the North Lancaster and Beaver Brook Road Landfill sites.

• Annual cost for Recycling $260,000

Background– Increased program effectiveness is essential to meet Waste

Diversion Ontario’s (WDO) funding requirements• A WRS is a fundamental best practice and without it, your

annual WDO funding decreases. Additionally, without a WRS, recycling performance tends to decrease

• A WRS is a planning tool designed to provide guidance and structure to municipalities for their specific recycling program

• A WRS sets annual goals and targets and when used with an appropriately funded and resourced implementation plan, increases waste diversion and lowers net costs

Background

2006 2007 2008 2009 201015.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

45.0%

50.0%

55.0%

60.0%

19.1

%

18.7

%

17.9

%

16.3

%

29.6

%

27.4

%

27.7

%

29.7

%

54.1

%

54.7

%

55.0

%

57.8

%

Overall Diversion Rate (all materials)

TOSG Diversion Rate Municipal Group Average Municpal Group High

Funding

• Municipalities receive WDO funding based on program performance submissions received 2 years prior (i.e. funding received in 2011 is based 2009 program performance)

• Prior to 2010, municipal funding was allocated based on percentage of each program’s net costs.

• Township of South Glengarry Blue Box Funding

2010=$70,000

2013=$103,000

WDO Funding

2010 2013

Based on Program Year

2008 2011

Best Practice 5% 15%

Program Performance

30% 35%

Net Cost 65% 50%

WRS Options

• Adopt an annual per household disposal rate target This is a public goal to either: reduce annual amount of

waste generated, reduce the amount of waste disposed, or increase the amount diverted

This would be a policy statement which would be supported by annual targets which would be tracked

During the WRS annual reviews, the success at reaching the targets would be assessed and actions would be taken to address any short-fall

Sub-goals would target any of the several waste streams

WRS Options

• Expand upon the Inter-Municipal Committee A Regional committee has been developed that comprises:

South Glengarry, SD&G, City of Cornwall, Prescott & Russell and City of Ottawa which are working collectively toward common regional goals for waste diversion

Committee members should identify and discuss opportunities for beneficial collaborations and can provide support and feedback on each others waste diversion programs

WRS Options

• Partner with other municipalities for services Municipalities often face considerable cost and capital

challenges when looking to collect and process recyclables Working collaboratively with other municipalities to provide

these services can increase economies of scale and allow for the sharing of resources

Joint tendering for services.

WRS Options• Enact landfill and curbside

collection bans for specific materials Designed to drive more

materials into the ‘recycling’ streams

In use in many communities across the province

Examples: no yard waste or recyclables permitted in the garbage

WRS Options

• Implement a clear bag requirement for garbage Curbside collection and drop off at the landfills would require

garbage to be placed in a clear bag This is an active reinforcement policy that promotes waste

diversion in that garbage set out for collection / delivered for disposal can be verified to be free of ‘divertible’ materials (such as recyclables and yard waste)

WRS Options

• Container limits for garbage Restrict the number of garbage bags a resident can set out

for curbside pick-up This encourages residents to divert more recyclable material

in-order to not exceed the two bag limit

WRS Options• Consider implementing a full user-pay system for garbage

This is a By-law that stipulates that a "bag tag" must be placed on each garbage bag/container set out for collection or taken to the landfill

The purpose is to get people to divert more material by removing the ‘free’ disposal option

This option also contributes to covering the cost of the Township’s waste management system (instead of paying for the system through taxes)

WRS Options

• Review the recycling performance of multi-residential buildings Typically, buildings don’t recycle as much as single family

homes Opportunities may exist to improve upon the current

performance

WRS Options• Increase the recycling collection frequency to weekly

Currently, recycling is collected every two weeks Weekly collection offers greater opportunity to increase

recycling rates and at the same time, reduce the quantity of garbage produced

• Expand the list of acceptable recyclable materials Currently, Township recyclables are sent to R.A.R.E. in

Alexandria for processing. An opportunity may exist to increase the types of materials acceptable

WRS Options

• Provide free/subsidized blue boxes If weekly collection of recyclables is adopted and more

materials are allowed in the program, more storage capacity may be needed

Additional boxes means less recyclables enter the garbage stream thereby increasing the recycling rate

WRS Options

• Review leaf and yard waste collection Provide free/subsidized back-yard composters At home composting could be encouraged through the P&E

program

WRS Options• Make improvements to the recycling

depot at both of the Township landfills For those residents that prefer to

utilize the landfill, and/or use it for specific disposal needs, opportunities should be made available to divert material prior to disposal

There are a number of Best Practices in depot design and management that may benefit the Township

WRS Options

• Consider recycling in public and open spaces Recycling containers in high traffic areas, especially where

evidence of use is very conspicuous should be considered - includes outdoor parks, campsites, trails, and public facilities

By establishing recycling containers where garbage containers are available, further opportunities exist to divert more material

WRS Options

• Review the current communication methods and revise where needed Future communications could include performance updates,

‘calls to action’ to divert more, etc. Include P&E campaign promoting at home composting

Waste Reduction Act

• On June 6th, 2013, Ontario’s Minister of the Environment introduced Bill 91, the proposed Waste Reduction Act, to establish a new regime for the reduction, reuse and recycling of waste.

• Ontario’s Overall Diversion Rate has stalled at 25%• At the same time, a draft Waste Reduction Strategy was

released for public comments, which provides a blue print for the implementation of the Act. Comments were received until September 4th

• If passed, the proposed Waste Reduction Act, along with a draft Waste Reduction Strategy would form the cornerstone of a long term effort to increase waste diversion and protect consumers

Waste Reduction Act• The proposed Waste Reduction Act and the draft Waste Reduction

Strategy aim to:• Increase the recycling of waste• Stimulate the reduction of waste• Make individual producers responsible for the end-of-life management of

designated products and packaging• Provide consumers with convenient and accessible diversion services• Reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill• Shift the costs of diversion away from the municipal tax base and

municipal taxpayers to the producers of the products from which waste is derived

• Protect consumers from surprise “eco fees” at the cash register• Provide strong oversight and compliance to ensure outcomes are met

Waste Reduction Act

Part II and part V of the Act describes the responsibilities and powers of the proposed Waste Reduction Authority and appropriate government oversight on the Authority

• The proposed Act would transform Waste Diversion Ontario into the Waste Reduction Authority to undertake the compliance and enforcement role for the individual producer responsibility regime and the integrated pricing provisions.

• The Authority would also continue to oversee the existing waste diversion programs until they are transitioned to the new producer responsibility

• framework.• The Authority would report annually to the Minister of the Environment and the

public. In addition, a number of different accountability and transparency provisions would apply.

Waste Reduction ActPart III of the Act describes the new individual producer responsibility framework, including the responsibilities of individual producers. Part III also describes the role of municipalities.

• Producers would be responsible for meeting outcomes set out in the Act and regulations

• Producers have options on how to meet the outcomes • Producers and intermediaries have joint responsibility for meeting recycling

outcomes• Producers would be responsible for meeting recycling outcomes. Where an

agreement enters with an intermediary the producer + intermediary would have joint responsibility

Waste Reduction Act

• Producers must collect the designated waste from the municipality unless they have agreed otherwise

• Producers must pay the reimbursable part of the municipality’s costs which is determined by a compensation formula based on reasonable cost

• The Authority would establish a compensation formula, for designated products• The Authority would facilitate a resolution to a dispute between producers and

municipalities on matters of reimbursement upon the request of either party

Waste Reduction Act

Part IV of the Act requires all-in pricing. Separate “eco-fees” are not allowed.• Producer or any seller of a product shall include any recovered recycling cost for

the product into the final advertised or displayed price of the product• If a producer or a seller chooses to communicate the recycling cost of a product

in its price, the final advertised price must be more prominent than the recycling cost and includes the name and amount of the recycling cost.

• The proposed Act also prohibits any false or misleading information with regards to recycling costs (e.g. producers or retailers cannot portray it as a government tax)

Waste Reduction Act

The proposed Waste Reduction Strategy sets out a blueprint for the implementation of the Act, if passed, and complementary initiatives for increasing diversion

• The Waste Reduction Strategy identifies paper and packaging supplied into the IC&I sectors as the first waste for designation under the Waste Reduction Act, if passed

• The Waste Reduction Strategy also identifies additional actions to support diversion, including disposal bans, the development of recycling standards for end-of-life vehicles, the development of a strategy to increase organics diversion, and the use of disposal bans to support diversion.

Thank You