eisplaybookwastemanagement

Message from the CAO

I’m thrilled to share with you the City of Orillia Waste Management Playbook. This playbook serves as your go-to resource for understanding how we, as a City, manage waste responsibly and innovatively, ensuring a cleaner, greener future for all.

Waste management is a vital aspect of keeping our city clean and thriving. It requires careful planning, strategic implementation, and active community participation. Our approach encompasses everything from routine waste collection to advanced sorting and processing techniques, all designed to minimize environmental impacts and promote recycling and waste reduction.

The stewardship role of City Council in these efforts has been the cornerstone of our progress, guiding our community towards more responsible waste management practices in alignment with our Waste Minimization Plan and our Climate Change Action Plan.

Waste management is a vital aspect of keeping our city clean and thriving.

As we move forward, we remain dedicated to innovating and improving our waste management services to deliver the best possible outcomes for our community and the environment. We encourage every resident to engage with these initiatives, contributing to a sustainable future for our municipality.

Thank you for your commitment to responsible waste management. By uniting in our efforts towards responsible waste management, we are forging a path toward a more sustainable and vibrant community for generations to come.

Message from the General Manger of Environment and Infrastructure Services

Welcome to the City of Orillia Waste Management Playbook, an essential guide to our commitment towards sustainable waste management practices.

As the General Manager of Environment and Infrastructure Services, I am thrilled to present this comprehensive playbook, which outlines our strategic approach to waste management in our vibrant city.

At the City of Orillia, we recognize the critical role we play in preserving our environment and promoting a circular economy. Through this playbook, we aim to provide a clear roadmap for effective waste reduction, recycling, and disposal strategies. Our goal is to minimize the environmental impact of waste while maximizing resource recovery.

Our goal is to minimize the environmental impact of waste while maximizing resource recovery.

This playbook covers various aspects, including waste collection, sorting, processing, and community engagement initiatives. By implementing the practices outlined within, we can collectively work towards a greener, cleaner, and more sustainable Orillia.

I invite you to delve into this playbook, join us in our waste management journey, and contribute to building a better future for our community and the planet as a whole. Together, let’s make Orillia a shining example of responsible waste management practices.

Message from the Director of Waste Management and Environmental Compliance

The City’s Waste Management Business Unit provides waste collection, diversion and disposal services for residents, businesses and institutions in Orillia.

Our keen attention is to recover materials that are recyclable and compostable so they do not end up buried in our landfill.

The City’s composting operation, for example, recovers the valuable resource of compost while avoiding the production of greenhouse gases and leachate that would otherwise be generated if this material were buried in the landfill.

The City has implemented very progressive waste minimization programs over the years and is recognized as a leading municipality in Ontario for waste diversion.

The City has implemented very progressive waste minimization programs over the years and is recognized as a leading municipality in Ontario for waste diversion. We continue to look for effective and sustainable methods of delivering waste diversion services to the community and to support Orillia’s Climate Change Action Plan.

Message from the Supervisor of Waste Management

The operations at the Waste Diversion Site are reflective of the changing face of municipal waste management services with the focus shifting from primarily landfilling garbage to increased diversion.

The current programs and services offered both through curbside collection and at the Waste Diversion Site emphasize the importance for recycling and diversion programs and promoting reduction and reuse opportunities.

The City’s landfill is an asset that many other municipalities do not have.

The City’s landfill is an asset that many other municipalities do not have, and it is vital that we minimize the amount of garbage requiring disposal while responsibly managing materials that can be diverted. The focus in the coming years will continue to be on improving diversion and expanding reuse opportunities.

Waste Management Team Organizational Chart

Gayle Jackson

Chief Administrative Officer

Roger Young

General Manger of Environment and Infrastructure Services

Greg Preston

Director of Waste Management and Environmental Compliance

Jill Fairchild

Supervisor of Waste Management

staff years of experience

Curbside Waste Collection Program Overview

The City currently provides waste management services to approximately 33,000 residents in nearly 15,000 serviced residential and commercial units.

Curbside waste collection services include:

• Every-other-week collection of garbage in clear garbage bags (or rigid containers), each bag requires a City of Orillia garbage tag (no bag limit).

• Weekly collection of green bin organics (including yard waste materials).

• Weekly collection of blue box recycling, which is a dual stream program (containers and fibres).

Levels of Service

Garbage Tag Program

• Garbage is collected every other week and must be placed in a clear bag or a rigid container. If lining a rigid container, it must be lined with a clear bag. Up to two small (opaque) privacy bags can be placed in each clear garbage bag.

• All garbage bags placed at curbside require a City of Orillia garbage tag.

• Diapers can be placed in a separate clear bag (cannot contain any other items) and do not require a garbage tag.

Recycling Box Program

• Recycling is collected weekly.

• The City has a two-stream recycling box program meaning paper items must be sorted into a separate recycling box from containers.

Green Bin Program

• Food waste organics and yard waste material are collected weekly.

• Only certified compostable bags or paper bags are accepted in the green bin.

• Only paper bags, certified compostable bags, and labelled rigid yard waste containers and will be accepted for leaf and yard waste collection (no garbage tag is required for regular yard waste).

• Bags or cans of grass clippings require a garbage tag.

Provision of Recycling Boxes and Green Bins

• New Resident Kits - new residents are entitled to two recycling boxes, one green bin, one kitchen organics container free of charge (proof of ownership or occupancy required, request must be within 12 months from purchase or signing of rental agreement date).

• Broken or damaged recycling boxes or green bins may be exchanged at the Waste Diversion Site free of charge (must be City of Orillia branded to qualify).

• Backyard Composters are available for purchase at the Waste Diversion Site (when available).

Waste Diversion Site (Landfill) Program Overview

The Waste Diversion Site is the City’s landfill, but the focus of operations is diversion – with 15 diversion depots in place.

The Waste Diversion Site is licensed to receive domestic, commercial and solid non-hazardous industrial waste generated from within the City.

LANDFILL QUICK FACTS:

In operation since 1967.

It’s size is 40.5 hectares (100 acres) with 24.3 hectares (60 acres) for active filling and 16.2 hectares (40 acres) for buffer.

The landfill is designed to hold 1.3 million m3 of waste.

Estimated remaining capacity of 482,000 m3.

The landfill has a life epectancy of approximately 40 years at current fill rates.

Typically sees about 32,000 transactions (loads) per year over the weighscales.

City’s overall waste diversion rate (including curbside collection) is currently 69%.

On average, the City collects approximately tonnes of waste (garbage, recycling and green bin organics) through the curbside program annually.

Collection and Landfill Equipment

Collection Route Map

If you are unsure of your collection day, check the collection route map.

What Goes Where App

Learn to sort like a pro!

Unsure of whether an item is garbage or can be recycled in either a curbside program or at the Waste Diversion Site? Use the City’s ‘What

Orillia currently has a waste diversion rate of for its curbside programs.

Quality Assurance

Waste Audits

Detailed waste audits are conducted every five years to understand what divertible materials are still ending up in the garbage. Audits also provide a window into future diversion programs.

Staff monitor the garbage drop-off pad and the blue recycling box drop-off areas at the Waste Diversion Site to ensure divertible materials are not ending up in the landfill.

Potential Impacts on Service Levels

There are a variety of things that can disrupt collection services, such as:

• Poor weather conditions

• Seasonal fluctuations (increased set out volumes after holidays)

• Road construction activities

• Collection contractor issues (scheduling or staff shortages, new collection driver training, truck breakdowns, etc.)

Residents are instructed to always set out material by 7:00 am on their collection day even if their ‘typical’ time is later in the day.

A service disruption could result in either an earlier pickup or delayed pickup on any given collection day.

Waste Management Related Bylaws

Chapter 877 (Solid Waste Management)

• Identifies waste collection requirements.

• Identifies Waste Diversion Site requirements.

Chapter 457 (Solid Waste Management Fees)

• Sets the fees in place that are charged for services provided at the Waste Diversion Site.

• Sets the fees for garbage tags, recycling and green bins, backyard composters, rain barrels and other saleable items.

Seasonal Reminders

Place grass clippings in rigid containers or in paper and compostable bags. A garbage tag is required for each container or bag and it can be placed on top of the grass within the container or bag.

Spring Summer Winter

Purchase a rain barrel at the Waste Diversion Site to save on your water bill. It can be used for watering plants and gardens.

Fall

Leaves can be placed in rigid containers or in paper and compostable bags. Do not rake leaves to the curb or boulevards as they can plug up stormwater drainage infrastructure and are a hazard if kids play in them.

Cut a notch halfway up the snowbank and place your garbage and recycling and green bins in this. Collection crews will not climb snowbanks to collect materials as it is a safety hazard.

Upcoming Activities

Waste Disposal Assessment

• 2023 Project

• Assessing waste disposal operations and other potential solutions to Orillia’s diversion and disposal needs.

Household Hazardous Waste Depot Replacement

• The existing Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Depot is nearing the end of its useful life.

• 2024: Pending budget approval, design a new HHW Depot.

• 2025: Pending budget approval, construct new HHW Depot.

Waste Diversion Site Final Capping of Cells 6 and 7

• The Waste Diversion Site (landfill) is made up of 12 sections or cells.

• Cells 6 and 7 have completed filling and will require a final engineered cap to reduce leachate (wastewater) generation at the Waste Diversion Site.

• 2025: Pending budget approval, design the final cap for Cells 6 and 7 and obtain Provincial approval.

• 2026: Pending budget approval, construct the final cap on Cells 6 and 7.

Communication with the Public

Methods of promotion waste management uses to reach residents include:

• Annual garbage tag mailout letter.

• Weekly Bulletins.

• ‘Wasteline Tips’ newspaper ads.

• ‘What Goes Where’ app for curbside collection reminders and for waste sorting inquiries.

• OrilliaNow for curbside collection reminders.

• Social media campaigns.

• Annual Collection Guide and Calendar.

The secure online portal is accessible from any mobile device or computer and allows residents and visitors to customize the information they view and receive, enabling them to tailor their experience.

The dashboard can be personalized to include information and notifications that are most important to the user including waste collection.