Solid Waste & Recycling February / March 2013 by Solid Waste & Recycling

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Solid Waste & Recycling Canada’s magazine on collection, hauling, processing and disposal February/March 2013

FOOD WASTE

Solving an Organics Problem That Wastes Resources and Energy— page 8

CPMP No. 40069240

An EcoLog Group Publication

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Solid Waste & Recycling

CONTENTS February/March 2013 Volume 18, Number 1

Canada’s magazine on collection, hauling, processing & disposal

COVER STORY

FOOD WASTE

8 Cover art by Charles Jaffe

Food waste poses special challenges, not least the energy and resources lost when we throw food out. Our expert looks at the issues and solutions. by Janet Robins

FEATURES DEPARTMENTS

LANDFILL TECHNOLOGY: LEVIES A look at landfill levies, bans and differential tip fees. by Maria Kelleher

PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP: BATTERIES Ontario’s Battery Incentive Program (BIP). by Clarissa Morawski

TRANSPORTATION EQUIPMENT: TRAILERS Shuttle-floor trailers from Trout River in PEI. by Ian Petrie

DIVERSION: LIQUIDS CLP makes windshield washer fluid from used beverages. by Barb McConnell

Editorial

Up Front

Regulation Roundup

Waste Business

Collection

OWMA Report

IC&I Waste

Ad Index

Blog

NEXT EDITION:

April/May 2013 Editorial: Vacuum collection systems. Anaerobic digestion. LCAs. Facility profile. Ballistic sorter. Space closing: March 26, 2013. Artwork required: March 28, 2013.

Product Stewardship, page 26.

Transportation Equipment, page 28.

IC&I Waste, page 34.

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EDITORIAL

by Guy Crittenden “As is the Quaker way, quite a few stood up and offered heartfelt recollections of this amazing woman.”

Remembering activist Maureen Reilly

t was with shock and sadness that I learned of the sudden and unWhen I first met Reilly, who was not a small woman, I was amused expected death of environmental activist Maureen Reilly who died in by her soft, almost child-like voice that reminded me of Marilyn Monroe Toronto on Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at age 58. when she sang Happy Birthday Mr. President for JFK. In fact, my wife As the news release I put together states, Reilly was known to readat the time gave me a piercing look one time after she picked up the ers as a “sludge activist” who tirelessly campaigned for higher treatment phone and passed it to me, suspicious as to why some twenty-something standards and better oversight of the disposal of municipal “biosolids” model was calling me. on farm lands, sometimes called “beneficial use” (industry terms of That first time we met I recall Reilly and me sharing a bottle of wine which Reilly did not approve, preferring to call it “sludging”). She also at a restaurant near Yorkville in Toronto, and Reilly telling me the story called attention to paper mill sludge, alarmed by its sometimes being of how she got into this area of activism after inheriting a rural house deposited on sensitive land only to leak chemical inks and dyes. and finding herself one day surrounded with sludged fields. Some of Reilly’s investigations into lax practices found their way We had both read the hilarious (and ironically titled) book Toxic into the pages of this magazine, Sludge is Good For You: Lies, Damn either directly from her own comLies, and the Public Relations Indusmentary or via ideas suggested to try by intrepid journalists John editorial staff (namely me). Stauber and Sheldon Rampton — a For 13 years she was administrabook I continue to recommend for tor of SludgeWatch, which included anyone interested in these issues, no a list serv and advocacy service for matter which side of the sludge depeople and communities struggling bate they stand (or sink) on. with issues related to contamination Reilly was criticized by some from wastewater, sludge, and other professionals, sometimes legitimateindustrial residuals. Many of the ly debating her but often making ad people she helped came to her fuhominem attacks, questioning her neral, which I also attended; as is the credibility because she wasn’t a sciQuaker way, quite a few stood up and entist or engineer. I always found offered heartfelt recollections of this those comments specious; our sociamazing woman. (Among my favorety needs these kinds of relentless ites was the recollection from one and eccentric gadflies poking about, friend of the young Maureen Reilly keeping the authorities honest. Maureen Reilly. of her often taking an inflatable raft I had lost track of Reilly in the via public transit down to the waterfront, then paddling around, chatting past year or so, some of her issues being a little off-spec for my magawith boaters and inevitably being invited onto someone’s yacht to share zines. I’m sorry that happened. The kind of work Reilly chose comes a bottle of wine. She was very convivial unless you were on the wrong with little if any remuneration, and burn-out can catch up with a person side of her sludge issue.) constantly speaking truth to power. She was usually the person giving, I first encountered Reilly many years ago when she called to draw always a bit amazed at how cynically certain parts of our economy my attention to local sludge practices being conducted with poor overoperate. It’s not easy being single when the Christmas season apsight. Reilly said that while the rules looked good on paper, in the real proaches, either. world the practice fell between the cracks of rural municipalities with no Perhaps the best way to honour Maureen Reilly’s memory is to reach power to regulate or control, and an overburdened provincial environout to the activists around us and help them out as much as we can. Even ment ministry with too few inspectors. My own investigations confirmed if they’re opposed to your project and you disagree with them, rememmany of Reilly’s objections. ber that they believe in what they’re fighting for, and we need them to I once wrote a long expose at Reilly’s behest for which I found myhold our toes to the fire. self criss-crossing rural roads and farmlands across Ontario meeting I don’t know who will take Maureen Reilly’s place — likely no one beleaguered homeowners sick from sludge being sprayed around them, can. She will be missed. their water wells contaminated. It was a fun assignment and opened my eyes to the difference between what the “experts” thought was going on Guy Crittenden is editor of this magazine. Contact Guy at from their offices, and what was taking place out on the farms. Other gcrittenden@solidwastemag.com articles and editorials followed.

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COuNtRY Of HONOuR

ORGANIZED BY

IN COllABORAtION wItH

PlAtINum PARtNER

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Solid Waste & Recycling

UPFRONT

Canada’s magazine on collection, hauling, processing & disposal

Guy Crittenden Editor gcrittenden@solidwastemag.com Brad O’Brien Publisher bobrien@solidwastemag.com Sheila Wilson Art Director Kimberly Collins Market Production Anita Madden Circulation Manager Carol Bell-Lenoury Mgr EcoLog Group Bruce Creighton President Business Information Group

Announcement

older Associates is pleased to announce that Edward San has joined the firm as a Senior Environmental Engineer in the geotechnical group located in the Markham, Ontario office. Edward brings over 30 years of experience in environmental, geotechnical, and civil engineering projects. One of his key areas of practice is in landfill design and construction. Edward has managed and/or played a key role in many landfill projects of new facilities, and expansion and remediation of existing sites. He also reviewed the draft Ontario regulatory standards (now Regulations 232/98) for new landfilling sites accepting nonhazardous wastes for the Ontario Waste Management Association. Michael Cant, National Waste Sector Leader, is thrilled to have Edward on board. “Our clients will benefit greatly with the addition of Edwards skills, experience and knowledge to our team,” he says.

Contributing Editors Michael Cant, Rosalind Cooper, Maria Kelleher, David McRobert, Clarissa Morawski, Usman Valiante, Paul van der Werf Award-winning magazine Solid Waste & Recycling magazine is published six times a year by EcoLog Information Resources Group, a division of BIG Magazines LP, a div. of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd., a leading Canadian businessto-business information services company that also publishes HazMat Management magazine and other information products. The magazine is printed in Canada. Solid Waste & Recycling provides strategic information and perspectives on all aspects of Canadian solid waste collection, hauling, processing and disposal to waste managers,haulers, recycling coordinators, landfill and compost facility operators and other waste industry professionals.

Edward San

Contact Edward San at 905-475-5591 x6047 or edward_san@golder.com

Announcement

Subscription Rates: Canada – $51.95 (add applicable taxes) per year, $82.95 (add applicable taxes) for 2 years, single copy $10.00. USA and all other foreign – $82.95 per year US single copy US10.00 Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No. 40069240 Information contained in this publication has been compiled from sources believed to be reliable, thus Solid Waste & Recycling cannot be responsible for the absolute correctness or sufficiency of articles or editorial contained herein. Articles in this magazine are intended to convey information rather than give legal or other professional advice. Reprint and list rental services are arranged through the Publisher at (416) 510-6798. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Department, Solid Waste & Recycling 12 Concorde Pl, Ste 800, Toronto, ON M3C 4J2 From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods: Phone: 1-800-268-7742 Fax: 416-510-5148 E-Mail: jhunter@businessinformationgroup.ca Mail to: Privacy Officer Business Information Group 80 Valleybrook Drive Toronto, ON M3B 2S9 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. © 2013 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior consent. Print edition: ISSN-1483-7714

Online edition: ISSN-1923-3388

Rick Findlay (left) takes the place of retiring David Merriman (right).

n January 1, 2013, Rick Findlay assumed the role of Director of Operations at Waste Diversion Ontario (WDO), following Dave Merriman’s retirement. In his new role, Rick will focus on building stakeholder relations and improving transparency and communications. “WDO should operate as a modern oversight body that adds value to the waste diversion industry in Ontario,” says Findlay. “We must be helpful to our IFOs and responsive to stakeholder concerns and needs, while ensuring our waste diversion programs meet and improve on their targets.” Contact Rick Findlay at 416-226-1253 (direct line) or rickfindlay@wdo.ca

The Forest Stewardship Council® logo signifies that this magazine is printed on paper from responsibly managed forests. “To earn FSC® certification and the right to use the FSC label, an organization must first adapt its management and operations to conform to all applicable FSC requirements.” For more information, visit www.fsc.org

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UPFRONT

RECYCLING IDOL

Recycling Idol Sponsors with Winner: Pam Banks, Executive Director of RIC Centre, with Recycling Idol Sponsors, Winner Sam Visaisouk, CEO of Tyromer Inc., and James Sbrolla, RIC Centre’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence.

by Douglas McCallum

ecycling Idol, a widely anticipated new event presented by the RIC Centre in Mississauga, Ontario on [DATE], was a success. Four innovative recycling technology companies competed for approximately $30,000 in prizes and bragging rights to the title of “Recycling Idol.” Tyromer Inc. finished in the number one spot, beating second place finisher B&R Custom Machining by a single vote. Tyromer uses a unique polymerization technique to de-vulcanize tire derived rubber compounds, rendering them back to a nearly virgin rubber state. This process allows the recycled rubber to be safely incorporated in tire retreading operations to a level of approximately 20 per cent, considerably higher than the 3-4 per cent that can currently be safely incorporated. Based on a hybrid model of Dragon’s Den and American Idol, Recycling Idol challenged each company to make its pitch to an expert panel and an audience of over 150 people at the Noel Ryan Auditorium in Mississauga. After the pitches, the panel had a chance to ask questions before the audience voted for a winner using a unique voting technology provided by industry sponsor Turning Technologies Canada. While Tyromer took first place in the general audience vote, B&R Custom Machining won the top spot from our panel of experts based on the strength and uniqueness of the company’s environmental performance. When tires are processed for recycling the bulk of the tire is processed into crumb rubber leaving steel tire wire and a small

amount of rubber attached to the wire. B&R uses a mechanical process to separate the remaining rubber that is left over from the initial processing from the tire wire. This process improves the quality of the steel wire, which is sold to steel mills, and reduces pollutants from the burning of rubber during the steel making process. It also allows B&R to sell the remaining crumb rubber, creating a dual revenue stream for the company. James Sbrolla, Chair of Environmental Business Consultants and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the RIC Centre, was the host for the event and did an excellent job of keeping the program on track. The three person expert panel featured Gord Miller, the Environment Commissioner of Ontario, Michael Castellarin, Managing Director at Clairvest Group, and Fraco Hasou, a partner with Ernst & Young. With two companies each representing the blue box (CR Plastics and Blue Mountain Plastics) and the tire recycling industry (Tyromer Inc. and B&R Custom Machining), the event was reflective of the two premier sponsors: Stewardship Ontario and Ontario Tire Stewardship. Other sponsors for the event were Environmental Business Consultants, the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, and Emterra Group. Douglas McCallum is Environment and Sustainability Manager of the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association in Toronto, Ontario. Contact Douglas at dmccallum@crfa.ca

CORRECTION: The Nanaimo Bioenergy Centre

n the last edition of this magazine our description of The Nanaimo Bioenergy Centre and ownership was not quite accurate or sufficient. The gas utilization facility at the Regional District of Nanaimo is owned and operated by Cedar Road Bioenergy Inc. through a public-private partnership with the RDN. The facility has received financial and development support from the BC Bioenergy Network for Phase 1 and 2. Other funding partners include British Columbia’s Innovative Clean Energy Fund (ICE), Community Futures of Nanaimo, Natural Resources Canada, CIBC and Suncurrent Industries Inc.

One of the objectives of the facility is to play a leadership role in providing information and opportunities for further demonstration. To facilitate these aims, the facility is now called The Nanaimo Bioenergy Centre — a collaborative development and demonstration platform supported through the partnership of the RDN, BCBN, and Cedar Road Bioenergy. It brings together private and public stakeholders to demonstrate innovation in measurable leading commercial outcomes in GHG reduction and waste-energy conversion for small-medium sized landfills. February/March 2013 www.solidwastemag.com 7

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COVER STORY

by Janet Robins “The average Canadian discards 172–183 kg/ capita/year of food in the retail sector and at home.”

Causes, solutions and why it matters

Food

n recent years the topic of food wastage has garnered increased attention in the United Kingdom and Europe, and is slowly gaining attention in North America. Food wastage occurs when perfectly good, edible food is deemed unusable and is sent for composting or disposal. Why does food wastage matter? Throwing away perfectly good food in the home and throughout the food production and distribution chain pointlessly uses up natural resources, generates greenhouse gases, and wastes money. It takes a significant amount of energy and water to produce food. In Canada, where water is bountiful compared with other nations, agriculture was the fourth largest user of water, accounting for nine per cent of total water use in Canada in 2005. Irrigation accounted for most of the water use (at 92 per cent); livestock watering accounted for almost six per cent. The agriculture sector contributed 62 million tonnes (or about nine per cent) of

Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions in 2006, not including GHGs from associated energy use and transportation. Discarding food waste into landfills results in the generation of methane gas, a potent greenhouse gas, and/or requires additional money and resources to be composted. If “Food Waste” was a category on the game show Jeopardy, some of the answer-questions might be: Answer: 40 per cent Question: From field to table, what portion of food produced and sold in Canada is wasted? Answer: 51 per cent Question: What percentage of the food wastage occurs in the home? Answer: 20 per cent Question: What portion of the food thrown out in the home is considered non-edible (comprising of peelings, cores, bones, etc.)? Canadians throw out a lot of perfectly good food every year, resulting in economic, environmental and social implications. (See sidebar, page 10.). Most food wastage (about

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COVER STORY

Percentage Food Waste From Field to Home in Canada

Figure 1: Percentage Food Waste From Field to Home in Canada. (Source: Value Chain Management Centre, Food Waste in Canada November 2010) Translated, this means that about 20 per cent of all food and beverages purchased in Canada is wasted in the home (estimated to be 25 per cent in the United States). Of this total, 16 per cent is considered to be edible food allowed to go to waste (the remaining four per cent comprises of non-edible peelings, cores, bones, etc.). Not necessarily surprising if you consider the number of times that you open the fridge and find something rotten in the back or has an expired “best before” date and needs to be thrown into the compost or garbage bin.

half) occurs in the home, with an additional one fifth occurring in the retail and food service sector. Together these three sources account for almost three quarters of food wastage occurring in Canada, as shown in Figure 1. According to Statistics Canada’s 2009 Human Activity and the Environment report, in 2007 the amount of food wasted in Canadian homes and retail sector amounted to over six million tonnes, with another 2.8 billion litres of usable drinks (including milk, coffee, tea, pop

and juices) discarded unnecessarily. The average Canadian discards 172–183 kg/capita/year of food in the retail sector and at home. From an economic perspective, an estimated $27 billion worth of food is wasted annually, much of which occurs in retail, food service and home settings. In 2010, Statistics Canada reported that the average Canadian household spent about $7,500 on food purchases. This translates into $1,200 in wasted money due to 16 per cent of edible food being allowed to go to waste.

Waste

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COVER STORY

Environmental and Social Impacts Associated with Food Wastage

ood wastage has environmental and social impacts domestically and internationally. Some published facts include: • A report published by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the Untied Nation (2011) reports that globally about one third of food (or about 1.2 billion tonnes) produced for human consumption is wasted; • Tristram Stuart, author of Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal, estimated that 10 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions generated by industrialized countries come from growing food that is never eaten. • According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), production of a single litre of milk requires 1,000 litres of water; production of one kilogram of beef requires 10 times

more water input (16,000 litres) than the production of one kilogram of wheat (1,350 litres). • The US Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) states in its August 2012 Wasted report, that food production uses 10 percent of the total US energy budget, 50 percent of US land, and 80 percent of freshwater consumed in the United States. • A Columbia University article, “Wasting Food = Wasting Water,” claims that more water resources go into the production of food than any other use. In the US alone, it’s estimated that US citizens wasted 10.5 trillion gallons (40 trillion litres) of water associated with their annual wasted food. This is enough water to sustain almost 500 million people.

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COVER STORY WHY DOES FOOD WASTE HAPPEN?

es, pasta dishes and pre-made salads) makes up a large portion of food lost at convenience Most food wastage happens at the point of purstores, which discard approximately 25 perchase and at the home. Grocery stores face prescent of their food products. sure to display attractive fruits and vegetables Confusion over “best before” and “sell by” (requirements considered important to the condates on goods results in retailers and homesumer) and to reject “cosmetically” imperfect owners discarding edible food before they have fruits and vegetables and damaged goods. Groactually expired. The United Kingdom Waste cery stores will cull fruits and vegetables that and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) don’t meet specified size, shape and colour and estimates that 20 per cent of food thrown out discard damaged but perfectly edible goods. It’s in the home is as a result of confusion over the estimated that, in North America, up to 30 per“best before” date on the package. cent of fruits and vegetables are rejected during The Canadian Food Inspection Agency harvesting and retail because they are not conwebsite has this to say about “best before” sidered “cosmetically” acceptable. dates: “You can buy and eat foods after the To meet the increasing demands for con‘best before’ date has passed. However, when venience and ready-made foods, retailers are this date has passed, the food may lose some of producing meals-to-go, prepared packaged its freshness and flavour, or its texture may have fruit and salads, and freshly made baked changed. Some of its nutritional value, such as goods. Consequently, retailers may overestivitamin C content, may also be lost. Remember mate demand for ready-made goods, resulting that ‘best before’ dates are not indicators of in the excess being thrown out at the end of the food safety, neither before nor after the date. shift or day because they are no longer conThey apply to unopened products only. Once sidered “fresh.” opened, the shelf life of a food may change.” According to a study released by the According to the UK WRAP, two-thirds of National Resources Defense Council, readyWalinga VC2336 meals 6/11/07 2:36 PM Page food 1thrown out in the home is attributed to made food (prepared such as sandwich-

N O W

food spoilage from not being used in time or assuming the food is no longer safe because it exceeded the “best before” date. Cooking and serving too much food at home results in the other one-third of food being wasted. This situation may be attributed to several factors: • We eat more. Not only has the daily calorie intake of the average North American increased nine per cent in the past 20 years but the surface size of a dinner plate has increased 36 per cent between 1960 and 2007. • Food is relatively cheap. Households today spend less on food than before according to Statistics Canada. In 1969, the average Canadian household spent 18.7 percent of their income on food and only 10.2 percent in 2009; and • Food is sold in larger sizes. According to the US National Heart and Blood Institute, from 1982 to 2002, the average pizza slice grew 70 percent in size and calories. Last year Tim Hortons Canada modified its hot beverage drink sizes to harmonize with drink sizes in the United States. What was called a large sized Tim Horton coffee in early 2012 is now called a medium sized

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COVER STORY

“From an economic perspective, an estimated $27 billion worth of food is wasted annually, much of which occurs in retail, food service and home setting.”

OWMA AD

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COVER STORY

coffee today. Retail stores, such as Costco, sell food in large pre-packaged quantities, limiting the ability of the consumer to purchase smaller quantities. Consumers are exposed to larger portion sizes that may result in excessive food being prepared during mealtime.

HOW IS FOOD WASTAGE BEING ADDRESSED? In 2008, the UK WRAP launched its “Love Food Hate Waste” campaign to increase publicawareness about the need to reduce food waste. The campaign introduced easy and practical activities that homeowners could do to reduce food waste. The agency also worked with retailers to change promotions and practices resulting in further reduction in food wastage. The success of this campaign has resulted in a reported 18 per cent decrease in household food waste in the five years since the implementation of the campaign. WRAP reports that the reduction in discarded food waste has resulted in a savings of around 17 million tonnes of CO2 (equivalent to the emissions of one in five cars on UK roads) and a reduction of four per cent of the UK total water use. The European Parliament has designated 2014 as the “European Year Against Food Waste” with a goal to cut food waste in half by 2025. The European Commission will launch a campaign focusing on education to avoid excessive waste, and proper labeling and packaging. In December 2008, the European Com mission began to phase out regulations that specified acceptable size and shape of fruit and vegetables sold by retailers. As a result of these regulation changes, fruits and vegetables with “cosmetic imperfections” can be sold and no longer need to be discarded by retailers. Food rescue and food share programs help to redistribute unused food. Programs such as Second Harvest, Food Share and Food Banks take food from retailers, restaurants and institutions and redistribute it to people in need. Second Harvest is the largest food rescue program in Canada; the Toronto branch of Second Harvest reports that it has prevented almost 32,000 tonnes of edible food from going to waste. Some US states, such as California and Oregon, provide incentives to farmers to donate food to food banks. A 10 percent tax

credit is given to farmers (within the state) based on the wholesale price of fresh fruits and vegetables donated to local food banks. Work is being undertaken in Canada to address food waste as it occurs along the production, distribution and consumer chain. The Value Chain Management Centre, which develops sustainable solutions for agriculture businesses and industry in Canada, has addressed food wastage with its recent publica-

Janet Robins is principal of Robins Environmental in Toronto, Ontario. Contact Janet at robins.environmental@sympatico.ca

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tion called Cut Waste, Grow Profit accessible at valuechains.ca/presentations.htm. This background paper supported a forum held in November 2012 to further address food wastage issues.

2/12/2013 12:11:20 PM

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R E G U L AT I O N R O U N D U P

by Rosalind Cooper, L.L.B. “WDO is required to ensure that waste diversion programs it develops don’t affect Ontario’s marketplace in an unfair manner.”

Court Rejects Challenge

Ontario Court rejects OWMA waste diversion suit rejected by Ontario Court

recent ruling of the Ontario Divisional Court in Ontario Waste Management Assn. v. Waste Diversion Ontario has established that courts are not inclined to review matters that don’t involve a decision or action by a tribunal and, particularly, where the matter relates primarily to commercial interests (rather than the public interest). In this case, the matter which the court was asked to review involved a decision by Waste Diversion Ontario (WDO) and Stewardship Ontario (SO) that, according to Ontario Waste Management Association (OWMA), had a significant impact on the municipal hazardous or special waste (MHSW) diversion sector in Ontario.

Previous and new program The original program for MHSW was approved by the province’s environment minister on February 19, 2008. Under this program, municipalities collected MHSW from households in their jurisdiction and paid service providers to transport and process the waste. Participating municipalities were reimbursed by SO. Municipalities selected service providers based on a competitive bidding process and paid service providers for all post-collection services, including transporting, processing, recycling, and disposing of MHSW. Service providers invested in the MHSW program and many of them made significant capital investments in waste management infrastructure, research, and personnel, resulting in a waste management sector comprised of over 140 municipal programs serving a population of over 12 million residents — with many waste transporters and processors. In July 2008, the environment minister required WDO and SO to develop an amended program for MHSW that would require stewards to be responsible for all costs of the MHSW program (from collection through to final diversion). The final program was approved by the minister on September 22, 2009 and service providers again invested in the MHSW program (relying on assurances in the program plan about opportunities for growth, stability of the market, and attractive compensation). On January 1, 2012, SO implemented an incentive program which, OWMA argued, fundamentally altered the market and compensation of service providers under the existing program. Municipalities no longer had the discretion to procure services by way of tender or request for proposal system. Under the new incentive program, municipalities and service providers were prohibited from directly entering into agreements for services. SO was required to enter into those agreements, which were very specific as to form and terms.

Impacts & concerns The rates paid by the new program were based on actual costs rather than operational costs for service providers, and were therefore signifi-

cantly lower than the rates previously paid by municipalities. By capping the rates, OWMA argued, SO set a market price which did not account for market dynamics. OWMA took the position that this had not been discussed in the approved program plan, and wasn’t authorized under the MHSW program. OWMA also argued that WDO didn’t follow due process by considering how the changes might impact the market, or if they required approval by the environment minister. In doing so, OWMA argued that WDO had failed to provide proper oversight of the program implemented on January 1, 2012, and that SO implemented the incentive program in breach of the Waste Diversion Act and program plan. OWMA brought an application to the Ontario Divisional Court to review WDO and SO’s decision to implement the new program. OWMA is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1977 that represents approximately 300 independent waste companies and around 60 municipalities and counties that provide residential waste services. Under the relevant legislation, WDO is required to ensure that waste diversion programs it develops don’t affect Ontario’s marketplace in an unfair manner. SO is responsible for developing and operating certain diversion programs under WDO’s supervision, including the MHSW program, and can impose fees on stewards to pay for the programs. Once a program created by WDO is approved, the legislation provides that no “material change” may be made to the program without the prior written approval of the environment minister. OWMA argued that the change to the program was a “material change” and contravened the requirements of the WDA, as well as principles of natural justice and procedural fairness.

Court decision The Divisional Court declined to consider the application and held that the decision made by WDO and SO was not subject to its review. It also held that the OWMA did not have legal standing to bring the application and that, further, it was not prepared to perform the function of a trial court and consider substantial evidence, which it would need to do to decide the matter. As a result, OWMA will need to find another means, legal or otherwise, to advance its position on the new program, failing which there could be significant implications going forward for the waste management sector. Rosalind Cooper, LL.B., is a partner with Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP in Toronto, Ontario. Contact Rosalind at rcooper@tor.fasken.com

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LANDFILL TECHNOLOGY

by Maria Kelleher “The UK Landfill Tax is a great case study of intended and unintended consequences.”

Landfill Levies Different jurisdictions use levies to achieve specific outcomes

andfill levies (or taxes, depending on where you live) are added to the tipping fee at a landfill to increase the cost of disposal to a point where diversion becomes more economically attractive. There are a number of reasons why jurisdictions impose landfill levies. They help preserve landfill capacity which is expensive (or in some locations virtually impossible to replace) and they support local industries that need recycled materials as feedstocks. (Landfill bans are also used to achieve this objective.) Levies may help meet regulatory obligations (e.g., EU Landfill Directive; EU Packaging Directive, etc.), raise funds for diversion infrastructure and/or simply to meet diversion targets. Landfill taxes and levies are in place across Canada, the US and Europe. The amount of the levy varies depending on the policy objective. The way the funds are collected differs among countries and jurisdictions, as shown in these examples: • Ireland: Development of municipal, publicly owned diversion infrastructure. (Private sector companies have complained this is unfair.); • UK: Most of funds are directed to non-waste related community programs and projects and some is directed to WRAP, WIP (Waste Infrastructure Program, LASU (Local Authority Support Unit ) and other DEFRA programs; • California: In the past, to finance the Integrated Waste Management Board.

What do we know about landfill levies? They raise a lot of money! But it can be difficult to assess the extent to which they reduce the amount of waste landfilled on their own, as there are usually a number of other things happening at the same time (“confounders”). Other options for management of materials destined for landfill must be available (recycling, composting, etc) for the landfill levies to work as effective incentives. Also, they often have a habit of creeping up to enormous values (as in the UK and Ireland).

UK landfill tax — a case study The UK Landfill Tax is a great case study of intended and unintended consequences. The landfill tax started off (under the Finance Act in 1996) at £7/tonne and is now £64/tonne. The 1999 budget set the tax at £10/ tonne with a plan to increase it by £1/tonne each year until 2004; this policy was changed to a £3/tonne annual increase with a cap of £35/ tonne. The Landfill Tax raised £674 million in 2004, equal to about 0.15 per cent of total tax revenue in the UK. By 2007, landfill disposal rates were not dropping sufficiently (the UK was at the tail end of a huge economic boom) so the 2007 budget changed the tax increases to £8/tonne per year with a cap of £80/tonne. The increases, targeted at reducing landfilled tonnage, were rolled into the national climate change action plan. Landfilled rates have decreased in the UK in the years that the tax has been in place, although decreases were minimal between 1997 and 1999 when the tax was at a modest rate (under £10/tonne). Many other factors were at play in the same time period including: • EU Landfill Directive mandating a reduction in the amount of un-stabilized biodegradable (organic) waste landfilled (using 1995 as a baseline); • To 50 per cent of 1995 levels by 2009, and • To 35 per cent of 1995 levels by 2016; Landfill tax rate • Compliance with the EU Landfill Directive (euro) means that most organic waste is being sent to composting, AD or EFW to stabilize the organic fracMSW landfilled (% of tion, therefore tonnages to landfill would have deMSW generated) creased during this period anyway. • EU Packaging Directive mandating packaging reduction targets; • EU WEEE Directive mandating producer take back schemes for electronics; • Dramatic economic collapse in late 2008.

Landfill Tax and Disposal Rates UK, 1995 to 2009

19 95 19 96 19 97 19 98 19 99 20 00 20 01 20 02 20 03 20 04 20 05 20 06 20 07 20 08 20 09

... continues on page 18

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LANDFILL TECHNOLOGY

EU economic instrument study

he European Commission released a research report in April 2012 which explored the use of economic instruments to reduce waste disposed and achieve desired environmental performance. The report Use of Economic Instruments and Waste Management Performances was prepared by BioIntelligence Service S.A.S based in Paris. The research explored the effectiveness of landfill and incineration taxes, bans and fees, pay as you throw (PAYT) and producer responsibility schemes for specific waste streams (packaging, electronics, end of life vehicles and batteries) in achieving lower disposal rates and higher waste diversion rates. The study reported that nineteen EU member states had landfill taxes in place for the disposal of non-hazardous municipal waste (Lithuania is the most recent EU Member State to add a landfill tax in 2012). The landfill taxes vary widely in amount, ranging from a low of €3/tonne ($4/tonne) in Bulgaria to over €107/tonne ($145/tonne) in the Netherlands. The average range of costs to landfill waste (adding landfill taxes and tipping fees) in the nineteen countries studied ranged from €17.50/tonne ($24/tonne) in Lithuania to over €155/tonne ($210/tonne) in Sweden.

Date

Irish Landfill Levy (€)

Irish Landfill Levy ($)

1st June, 2002

1st July, 2008

31st December, 2009

1st February, 2010

1st September, 2011

1st July, 2012

remained relatively constant. The study also noted 100 per cent compliance with the EU Landfill Directive by France, Ireland and Austria, therefore significant amounts of organic waste were directed away from landfills to composting and AD during this period in these countries. The Irish chart shows that landfilled waste decreased and the diversion rate increased from 10% to 40% between 2001 and 2005 when the landfill rate was relatively low. It was introduced at a rate of €15/tonne on 1st July, 2002 and remained at this level until 1st July, 2008. By then, the diversion rate had remained relatively constant at 40% for a few years, so a nudge was required to increase the diversion rate. A few substantial increases have been made to the landfill tax rate in Ireland, with a rate of €65/tonne today compared to €15/tonne in 2008. The amount of waste landfilled has decreased substantially, more likely as a result of a collapsing housing market, building market and economy since about mid-2008. Because Ireland is an island it is a relatively closed system, with options to dispose outside of licenced landfills relatively limited.

The study found that in most cases (but not all) there was a correlation between high costs to landfill (tipping fees and landfill taxes combined) and high waste diversion rates. The researchers noted that EU Member States with total landfill charges of lower than €40/tonne ($54/tonne) generally landfilled more than 60% of their waste (i.e. had waste diversion rates of 40 per cent or lower). The researchers further noted that EU Member States were much more likely to achieve 50 per cent diversion or higher where landfill charges approached €100/tonne ($136/tonne). While data for countries such as the UK and Austria show that landfill tonnages decrease significantly when landfill taxes increased, data for Ireland and France show a 25 per cent reduction in landfilled waste during times when the landfill levies Reference: BIO Intelligence Service S.A.S (10th April, 2012). European Commission. Use of Economic Instruments and Waste Management Performances. The full report is available at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/pdf/final_report_10042012.pdf

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LANDFILL TECHNOLOGY ... continued from page 16

Other reported impacts of the Landfill Tax include an increase in generation of residential waste by 5.25 per cent in 1997. (It was suspected that IC&I waste was disposed in residential waste systems to avoid disposal fees.) Some complained that the Landfill Tax increased costs for local municipalities, taking scarce funds away from other programs. There

was increased “fly tipping” (illegal dumping) and and increased use of unlicensed sites.

Levies in North America Landfill levies are in place in some parts of Canada and the US: • Quebec’s provincial landfill levy is currently at $20.69/tonne which includes a tem-

porary levy of $9.50/tonne to develop organics processing infrastructure; • Manitoba has a $10/tonne landfill levy; • Ontario has looked at landfill levies over time but none have been implemented to date. The Quebec Landfill Levy has two components: a permanent levy that was established at $10/tonne in 2006 and that, with cost of living increases, is currently $11.19/tonne; and, a “temporary” additional levy of $9.50/ tonne introduced in October, 2010 for a five year period (to support implementation of the 2011-2015 Waste Management Action Plan). The policy objectives of the levies are to divert useful material from landfill, meet a 60 per cent diversion objective,and make diversion cost competitive with waste disposal. The levy value was $20.69/tonne as of January 1, 2012. The levy is part of a planned comprehensive strategy on landfill bans that includes bans on disposal of cardboard paper and wood by 2015 and landfill bans on food waste, leafand-yard wastes and biosolids by 2020. In 2011, 85 per cent of the collected permanent landfill levies were distributed to municipalities using a funding formula: 40 per cent based on population, and 60 per cent based on diversion performance. Thirty-five per cent of the temporary levy is also distributed back to municipalities to assist with waste diversion infrastructure implementation. The total cost of the organics management infrastructure required for the Quebec Waste Management Plan is estimated at $650 million. Manitoba has a landfill levy of $10/tonne. The collected levies are placed in a dedicated fund for waste reduction and recycling support which is managed by Green Manitoba; 80 per cent of the collected levies are given to municipalities based on the amount of material diverted. Twenty per cent of the collected levies are used by the province to fund e-waste, HHW and administration.

Policy considerations It’s important to be clear on the policy objective of the landfill levy so that the levy and supporting policies meet articulated outcomes. The levy needs to be set at the level that will achieve the objective desired. A good enforcement strategy and monitoring program will ensure that the levy achieves the intended results. Maria Kelleher is Principal of Kelleher Environmental in Toronto, Ontario. Contact Maria at maria@kellenv.com 18 www.solidwastemag.com February/March 2013

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CLEANTECH: WASTE BUSINESS by John Nicholson, M.Sc., P.Eng. “The waste-energy nexus is upon us.”

Grey Paper Recycling Industries Ltd. in Edmonton.

Trends in Waste for 2013

he next evolution in computing — quantum computers — will make the fastest current-day computer look like an abacus, or so I am told. What is the next evolutionary step in solid waste and recycling? The easy answer may be Zero Waste but most realistic waste management professionals estimate that is 20 to 30 years off. In the meantime, what will evolve from the current methods of waste management and recycling?

Waste-to-<Insert Product Here> I continue to be amazed by the number of entrepreneurs, scientists, and engineers and companies coming up with new products from various waste streams. Some products are fast becoming mainstream household

items such as recycled plastic decking and deck furniture, car parts, and even clothing (made from recycled PET plastic). The challenge of contaminants in the feedstock (after all, it is considered waste by the originator), production costs, and selling price of the item remain. One of the biggest downfalls I’ve seen in waste-toproduct companies is their naivety on profitability. My view is that a company should be able to at least break even on getting paid for the feedstock if it expects to be profitable. An excellent example of a waste-to-products company can be seen at Greys Paper Recycling Industries Ltd. in Edmonton. Operations began in 2012 with the company making professional-grade paper through a process combining recycled office paper with recycled cotton, without

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CLEANTECH: WASTE BUSINESS

the need for bleaching chemicals. The business model of the facility is based on the fact that it can be produced at lower cost than virgin paper manufacturing. The Founder and President of the company, Rajan Ahluwalia, is an example of the type of entrepreneur fuelling waste-to-product innovations. His desire to create a closed-loop paper recycling system grew out of his worldwide travels where he witnessed deforestation firsthand.

Canada (with a very similar climate) is nowhere near that percentage, but has the resources to do so, is evidence of the potential growth. Proof of the promising future of fuels derived from waste is the recent solicitation of proposals by the Canadian government to retrofit naval ships with biofuel. (The U.S. navy is already in the process of converting an entire aircraft carrier strike group with alternative fuel by 2016.)

Fuels derived from waste

EPR

The waste-energy nexus is upon us. The conventional thinking on wasteto-energy has grown to include fuels-from-waste. The advantage of fuels from waste is that the energy is stored (either in solid, liquid, or gaseous form) for future use in transportation, heating, or electricity generation. The number of companies exploring the production of energy/fuel from waste is expanding rapidly. In Sweden, the percentage of energy (heat, electricity, transportation fuels) produced from waste and/or renewable sources (i.e., forest residue) is fast approaching 50 per cent. In fact, Sweden aims to be the world’s first oil-free nation by 2020. The fact that

Despite the setbacks and issues associated with extended producer responsibility (EPR) in Canada, they are many reasons why EPR is set to grow. For starters, the time, effort, and expense required to get any major waste disposal facility approved and built is increasing, and are often borne by government. With EPR, the government requires manufacturers to take responsibility of dealing with their end-of-life products. Several provinces have enabling blanket EPR legislation that could, in principle, cover any product. With the current fiscal deficits of existing government and spending

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CLEANTECH: WASTE BUSINESS

Grey Paper Recycling Industries Ltd. in Edmonton. The trend toward treating waste as a resource is picking up steam.

priorities other than waste disposal facilities, it only makes sense that government will unload more responsibility for waste management on the producers, hoping they will ultimately design waste right out of their products and packaging. A June 2012 report by the British Columbia Ministry of the Environ足 ment forecasting solid waste generation provides strong evidence of the bold predictions on the growth of industry stewardship programs. Under three forecast scenarios in the report, it was predicted that industry stewardship programs would grow anywhere from 292 per cent to 496 per Env Cat bleed ad-may2010.qxd

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cent from the 2010 amount of 242,000 tonnes (which accounted for 11 per cent of the generated waste stream). Successful EPR exists for materials such as tires, electrical and electronic equipment, motor oil, beer and wine bottles, etc. and the list is growing. Possible candidates include carpeting, mattresses and sofas, and packaging. (See related EPR article on page 26.) John Nicholson, M.Sc., P.Eng., is a consultant based in Toronto, Ontario. Contact John at john.nicholson@ebccanada.com

Page 1

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COLLECTION

by Paul van der Werf “In Lelystad the old recycling depot was replaced with a new 22-container-bay Modulo Béton facility in 2010.”

The Modulo Centre A new approach to recycling depots

The Modulo Centre

he waste and recycling depot is a fixture of Canadian waste management. Depots come in all shapes and sizes, from a few bins scattered around a muddy yard to large above-grade saw-tooth design facilities. They offer residents the ability to dispose of recyclables and wastes directly into bins. In most cases the types of recyclables that can be dropped off are much broader than what can be left at the curb, and can capture a significant amount of recyclable materials. In Canada, depots tend to be the mainstay of smaller municipalities that, in some cases, don’t have curbside collection. However, they’re also used by larger municipalities to provide residents a place to bring materials in between collection days, as well as handle recyclables for which there are no curbside programs. All current depots are designed as one-of-a-kind systems that incur the costs of site-specific engineering and construction, commensurate with size and sophistication. Modulo-Béton, of France, has developed the patented Modulo Centre, modular depots using pre-cast concrete building pieces that can be assembled to build above-grade depots. Remember playing with Lego as a kid, putting together modular pieces, limited only by your imagination? The Modulo-Béton offers the

same opportunity, on grander (and grown up) scale. The key blocks or modular building pieces are 3 x 4 metres and 3 x 3 metres with heights ranging from 90 cm to 300 cm. The pieces include two walls and a flat top surface (essentially creating a concrete table). Each block is like an engineered “macro” waiting to be assembled into whatever configuration. They can be laid end-to-end and side-to-side to form the raised driving surface and platform of the depot. Ramps are used to allow vehicles to get to the platform. They can be assembled in the configuration that suits the site and municipal needs. They can also be fitted with heated driving surfaces as may be required in our cold climate and safety fencing. Because the building blocks are built from load-bearing reinforced (and locally manufactured) concrete, it provides a unique and critical advantage over other above-grade depots. The space below the main platform is entirely usable. Its use is also only limited by one’s imagination: consider office space, equipment and recyclables storage. It can eliminate the need for outbuildings. To build a depot the customer develops a design and footprint for the depot. Because the units have no subsurface foundations, only ground works are typically required for drainage and surfacing. The base is February/March 2013 www.solidwastemag.com 23

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COLLECTION

The Modulo Béton centres allow a rapid flow-through of vehicles and also improves the ease of dumping various recoverable materials into bins. Photo by Paul van der Werf

typically made from asphalt or concrete. Once the base is completed, the assembly of the depot begins, which can typically be accomplished between two and five days. With a few final finishing touches such as railings and splash guards, the depot is ready to operate. The client can add options such as heated floors. The depots, which can be suitable for small or large municipalities,

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are modular and can be expanded and changed as required to accommodate additional recycling streams, or even picked up and moved to another location. The Modulo Centre allows flexibility that other fixed systems do not allow.

Installations Within just six years of being launched, more than 200 of these facilities have been constructed, mostly throughout Europe (and more recently in Africa and Asia). Ideally they’re built close to residential areas to stimulate recycling. A 2012 Dutch government document on how to recycle 65 per cent of household waste recognized that a well laid out and organized recycling depot is critical in attracting a variety of recyclables for which curbside programs are inefficient. In Lelystad, a city of about 70,000 in the Netherlands, the old recycling depot was replaced with a new 22-container-bay Modulo Béton facility in 2010. Over a number of weeks the old depot was dismantled and the groundwork for the new facility completed. The upgraded depot design results in a more rapid flow-through of vehicles and also improves the ease of dumping various recoverable materials into bins. As the author’s cousin (and Lelystad resident) notes, it’s a “handy place” to leave all manner of separated recyclables. The key advantages of the Lelystad facility are: easy to access and use; better sorting of recyclables; improved cost control (from better screening of incoming waste to prevent the receipt of unauthorized commercial and out-of-town waste — residents can get a pass to enter the facility. In Canada, Scotiabank is supporting the lease of these facilities, soft costs included. Modulo has recently sold its first system in Canada to EastForest Homes, a large residential developer and home builder in Kitchener, Ontario, for one of its construction sites. A completion of the development project, the depot can be moved for use at the next development site, making it an asset rather than a liability that needs to be cleaned up. Paul van der Werf is President of 2cg Inc. in London, Ontario. Contact Paul at 2cg@sympatico.ca

24 www.solidwastemag.com February/March 2013

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ng at Fueli an 80 th more s across n o i locat America h t Nor

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P R O D U C T S T E WA R D S H I P

by Clarissa Morawski “In Durham Region, roughly 50,000 pounds of batteries were collected.”

BIP

Battery recycling gets a blue box bump

s extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs continue to evolve across the country, economic instruments increasingly appear to incentivize recycling success. The most obvious financial motivator is the deposit in deposit-refund programs for items like shopping carts, car batteries, and empty beverage containers. Another example of an economic instrument, which can stimulate collection and diversion, is a fee for service offered to commercial collectors, processors and recyclers. It’s a seemingly simple tool used by stewards to financially stimulate recovery initiatives within the sector itself, rather than attempting to design and operate the collection system themselves. All they have to do is define the program boundaries and standards, and of course, set the right price. Ontario’s Battery Incentive Program (BIP) offers a good case study of an economic incentive working to bring the right people together and, in an effective way, collect large quantities of used batteries.

partment’s existing fire alarm battery switch-out program (which takes place twice a year). In Durham Region, approximately 250,000 households were offered collection last November for two weeks, and roughly 50,000 pounds of batteries were collected (0.20 lbs per household). Niagara offered the collection opportunity with zip lock bags to about 25,000 households and achieved similar per household collections in combination with the blue/grey box on their pickup day.

Compliance Stewardship Ontario ultimately funds the entire BIP and is the legal entity in charge of achieving the 25 per cent collection target set for 2013. The organization is supportive of the new collection method. “We welcome inquiries from Ontario municipalities and service provid-

Money, convenience & partnership So far, Ontario is the only jurisdiction that offers an aggressive economic incentive to both collectors and processors (recyclers) of primary batteries through the BIP, which commenced in early 2011. The BIP is administered by Stewardship Ontario, the organization that represents the battery brand owners targeted by product stewardship recycling obligations. The BIP pays transporters $1.54 or $3.86 per kg (southern vs northern Ontario), plus an additional $1.24 per kg processed. Some might suggest that the price is high, but this assertion is questionable because there’s no baseline cost to compare with: higher than what? No other programs in North America have even come close to the level of collection and recycling of primary batteries of this program; no one has ever monetized the value of recycling large amounts of primary batteries on a per capita basis, either. No matter how controversial the issues are surrounding blue box programs, it’s difficult to argue against the convenience of curbside recycling. Blue box recycling in Ontario was mandated nearly 20 years ago, and today offers over 95 per cent of the population regular curbside recycling pick-up. The opportunity to build on an existing door-to-door collection service to maximize the participation rate is a natural fit to collect residentially generated batteries. So with the offer of an economic incentive, it comes as no surprise that Ontario’s primary battery recycler, Raw Materials Company, based in Port Colbourne, teamed up with the Region of Durham and Niagara Region, Ontario to see if they could collect more batteries from householders through their existing convenient curbside program. Residents in Durham received a small plastic bag in their mail with instructions written directly on it. They were asked to place all loose primary batteries in the bag and set it on top of their blue box for collection during the week of daylight savings, to coincide with the fire de-

Zip lock bags facilitate ease of gathering and set out of used batteries.

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P R O D U C T S T E WA R D S H I P

Bags of batteries set atop regular blue box collection bins. Making the system easy improves diversion results.

ers interested in running curbside battery collection programs,” says David Pearce, Stewardship Ontario’s Director of Channel Management. (Pearce is also responsible for managing the collection network for Orange Drop.) But, like any good collection program, diversity (versus a single program) is key. It needs to accommodate the many types of consumers and various points of discard. Pearce concurs. “Curbside battery collection will only be a component of our battery collection strategy,” he says. “We continue to build our network of over 2,000 conveniently located battery drop-off locations to give residents that don’t have curbside battery collection programs options to safely and properly recycle their used batteries.” Big gains in collection and recycling rates of primary batteries in

Ontario are possible if these types of collection efforts spread to other municipalities. Compared to 2011, RMC reports nearly doubling their Ontario volumes in 2012. With less than half of the population, Ontario collected more than double the volume of batteries compared to California, which is hailed as a huge success in the US. As the awareness of daylight savings bi-annual battery collection days continues to spread, the program can further be expanded to include rechargeable batteries. Collectively, the results provide significant environmental and economic benefits. Clarissa Morawski is principal of CM Consulting in Peterborough, Ontario. Contact Clarissa at clarissa@cmconsultinginc.com

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February/March 2013 www.solidwastemag.com 27

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T R A N S P O R TA T I O N E Q U I P M E N T

by Ian Petrie “Operators don’t have to climb over the pile they just unloaded to get in the back of the trailer.”

Shuttle Floor Trailer Trout River Industries in PEI

rout River Industries has been building live-bottom trailers for the road building industry since 1999. Filling the need for safety and versatility, Trout River’s belt trailers have been hauling asphalt and aggregate across Canada and the northeast United States for years. In 2010, the company introduced the world’s first full-width belt shuttle floor. Its purpose was to help road builders manage different products in the off-season. But something unexpected happened: the trailers started to be used by waste haulers. Human waste, source-separated organics, compost, contaminated soils and automotive fluff were hauled in the trailers. “It’s been a big learning curve for us in the last two years, understanding the unique needs and language of the waste industry,” says Harvey Stewart, Owner of Trout River. The shuttle floor design has a headboard attached to the front of the belt; this cleans the trailer’s inside walls as it passes. Drivers don’t have

to touch the load or be exposed to contaminants or hazards at the rear of the trailer. It’s a difference that was noticed by the Central Newfoundland and Labrador Waste Management Authority. The organization has been very innovative and busy over the last few years combining 42 dump sites into one centrally-integrated waste management facility. The facility is fully lined and has a complete leachate treatment system. The authority needed seven more trailers for its transfer stations to move municipal waste to its central disposal site. Manager Ed Evans saw a demonstration of the shuttle floor at a waste conference and was impressed. Although the trailer was more expensive than some other models, Evans saw the advantages. “We can unload the Trout River shuttle floor in three and a half minutes, whereas the other trailers take twenty to twenty-five minutes,” he says.

28 www.solidwastemag.com February/March 2013

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T R A N S P O R TA T I O N E Q U I P M E N T

And Evans says the advantages don’t stop there. “When the bulkhead moves it actually cleans the trailer inside. The door is also a hydraulic lift so the driver doesn’t have to get out of the cab. This makes it easier when we’re hauling wet/sticky garbage; we don’t have to shovel or wash out the trailer. Just unload and go.” Harvey Stewart also points out that because the trailer unloads clean, operators don’t have to climb over the pile they just unloaded to get in the back of the trailer, or jump in and out. In addition, operators aren’t exposed to particulates or contaminants that could remain in the confines of the box.

Stewart concludes, “I hope over time we will develop a much better understanding of the waste haulers and be able to provide them with a high quality product that is safe, efficient and versatile enough to make them money.” See the trailer unload at http://www.youtube.com/user/TheTroutRiverTrailer Ian Petrie is a freelance journalist in Belfast, P.E.I. Contact Ian at ian.petrie@bellaliant.net

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DIVERSION

by Barbara McConnell “Well-known recycler Jack Rosen originally started the business 30 years ago as Royal Recycling.”

Windshield Washer Fluid Canadian Liquids Processors Limited closes the loop

anufacturers of consumer beverages, like every other consumable goods industry, end up with stale-dated and off-spec products that become waste. None of these products can find their way back into circulation for human consumption or use so they have to be managed for destruction in a secure, confidential and environmentally responsible manner. Generally speaking, no one would even think that recycling would be an option. But for some companies (which cannot be named according to their confidentiality agreement), recycling their waste liquids is an important part of their environmental mandate to “close the loop.” A number of these companies turn to Canadian Liquids Processors Limited (CLP) to manage the destruction of millions of litres of unsaleable sugar and alcohol-based consumer beverages. CLP offers a destruction process that is unique in Canada, converting the waste liquids into ethanol — a product highly sought after for a range of industrial applications. “In days past, these companies might have had to dispose of their waste liquids using environmentally questionable practices like turning it into animal feed or pouring it down municipal sewers. But those disposal methods are definitely outdated,” says CLP General Manager Erica Seibert. “Our process allows customers to manage their un-saleable products without any environmental impact, which achieves corporate responsibility goals. CLP even recycles 100 per cent of their packaging which contributes even more to sustainability metrics,” Seibert says, adding that her facility has an overall recovery rate of better than 96 per cent. But closing the recycling loop for these waste liquids no longer ends there. While replenishing her windshield washer fluid one slushy day last spring, she got an idea. Why not add to her customers’ sustainability bottom line by making an environmentally-superior, non-toxic windshield washer fluid for them using the ethanol that’s made from their waste liquids? “Our customers have huge fleets. They have to buy significant amounts of windshield washer fluid anyway,” Seibert says. “It makes sense to offer them a product that has exactly the same characteristics and performance as the commercial brands but that’s made from their own waste liquid products. “It’s a completely green, closed loop alternative to their current practice, truly taking their products from cradle to cradle.” The new product is branded “Transformations” to reflect its waste liquids origins, and packaged in 1,000-litre, recycled content, refillable totes. “Our customers’ trucks are regular visitors to our facility so it’s no

Erica Seibert (left), general manager of Canadian Liquids Processors Limited (CLP), conceived the idea of turning ethanol made from waste consumer beverages into windshield washer fluid, closing the recycling loop for her customers. Brian Gogo (right) is general manager of CLP’s sister company, Emterra Environmental, Niagara Region, who is one of CLP’s first customers for the new product, branded Transformations. Emterra photo

30 www.solidwastemag.com February/March 2013

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DIVERSION

CLP’s Transformations-branded windshield washer fluid is non-toxic ethanol made from waste consumer beverages. Emterra photo

inconvenience for them to bring back an empty tote to get it refilled,” says Seibert. “That’s an added benefit because there’s no packaging waste and the backhaul to their facilities is now utilized for delivering the windshield washer fluid.” Located in Hamilton, Ontario, CLP is the only facility in Canada which provides secure, environmentally sustainable, confidential destruction of off-specifications and stale-dated beverage products. It also is the only facility of its type in Canada licensed with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Excise Canada so that customers from across Canada can obtain excise tax rebates. Jack Rosen, well known in the Ontario recycling community in the 1980s, originally started the business 30 years ago as Royal Recycling. In 2004, Emmie Leung, CEO of Emterra Group, acquired CLP and it’s now part of her family group of companies which includes Emterra Tire

Recycling, Emterra Environmental, and Emterra Environmental USA. Emterra Group operates 14 recyclable material and used tire recovery facilities in British Columbia, Manitoba and Ontario. A fifteenth single stream MRF is currently under construction in Regina, Saskatchewan. When completed next June, it will process recyclables for the residential and IC&I sectors. “We’ve started to use Transformations Windshield Washer in our fleet operations,” Leung says. “With more than 800 light, medium, and heavy trucks in use throughout our company, it adds to our corporate drive to achieve Zero Waste, too.” Barbara McConnell, APR, is Principal of McConnell Weaver Strategic Communication in Milford, Ontario. Contact Barbara at mcweav@kos.net

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13-02-14 11:29 AM

OWMA REPORT

by Rob Cook “A best management practice is like putting a finger in the dike (at best).”

A “Soiled” Approach to Soil Management

ith new urban development projects, larger infrastructure schemes and brownfield re-development undertakings in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), there are significant volumes of clean, impacted and contaminated soils being excavated and moved. There has been increasing concern over the proper management of these soils and the illegal dumping and inappropriate management of impacted and contaminated soils. As a result of fundamental concerns with the regulatory framework and environment ministry enforcement activity related to soils, the OWMA is identifying and addressing issues associated with soil quality, treatment and transportation including: comparisons of our regulatory framework with other jurisdictions; classification of authorized and approved sites; land disposal restrictions; and, contaminated soil storage and disposal. Contrary to the concerns expressed by some stakeholders, Ontario landfills are not accepting or disposing large volumes of clean soils. The issue is not that clean soils that shouldn’t be managed in landfills are; rather, impacted and contaminated soils that should be managed at soil remediation facilities or landfills are ending up somewhere else. In fact, over the past few years the volume of contaminated and impacted soils being managed at landfills has fallen precipitously. Soil remediation facilities and landfills are the appropriate management option for the large volumes or impacted and contaminated soils currently being mischaracterized or mismanaged as clean soils and ending up in rural Ontario. OWMA strongly believes that clean soils should not end up in landfills, but also that a new regulatory framework and enforcement regime must be developed to ensure that contaminated and impacted soils are

properly managed in approved facilities. In response to the growing problems surrounding soil management, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment is proposing a new soils best management practice document. OWMA does not foresee this document, as drafted, providing resolution to the current problems. The document fails to ensure that soils are adequately tested, properly defined, and then managed appropriately. There remains major concern with the approach being taken through a best management practice document as it has no enforcement status and lacks clarity on the party responsible for ensuring appropriate final disposition. Critical issues not addressed include: a definition of clean, impacted and contaminated soils; solutions to tracking of materials from generation to disposition; and, ensuring that proper sampling protocols are in place. The new concept of temporary “soil banks” where soils can be stored up to five years is fraught with potential abuse and represents potential environmental and financial liability to municipalities and the province. At this time a best management practice is like putting a finger in the dike (at best). Ontario industry and the public need a more coordinated approach through a new regulatory framework and through the establishment of an overall provincial strategy for the management of excess soil. Anything less will perpetuate excess soil mismanagement and accumulate significant environmental liabilities to Ontario. (For a perspective on soil remediation techniques and a new approach to site-specific risk assessment, read the Cover Story of the Winter 2012-2013 edition of sister publication HazMat Management by visiting the Archives section of hazmatmag.com) Rob Cook is CEO of the Ontario Waste Management Association (OWMA) in Brampton, Ontario. Contact Rob at rcook@owma.org

32 www.solidwastemag.com February/March 2013

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I C & I WA S T E

by Diane Blackburn “Wornoff estimates he diverts about 10 tonnes of material from landfill in a busy year through his own direct efforts.”

W m W

The ART of Recycling Furniture by A Higher Plane

he business of 3Rs can be a dry and repetitive litany of paper, bottles and cans, reduced and diverted. While we are always comforted to know that our enviro-friendly bathroom tissue is saving virgin forests, it doesn’t stir the imagination or delight the eye. In my role of delivering the Ontario Waste Minimization Awards for the past eight years, I’ve sifted through hundreds of documents that record the accomplishments of many organizations bent on being better stewards. However, it was only in 2008, when a serendipitous encounter introduced me to the artistic take on waste and recycling, that I realized garbage could be reborn, remodeled, rejuvenated into beauty and functionality. Gordie Wornoff is a young entrepreneur with a passion for preservation in renovation. His company, A Higher Plane, took its name from the fundamental tenet of reincarnation. Wornoff is a second-generation carpenter from Keene, Ontario who seeks to reclaim as many materials as possible for various applications. An example of how far the reclaiming of materials can go, consider lawn chairs made from abandoned shopping cards — virtually indestructible, won’t mildew, no industrial re-manufacturing cost involved... and lends a funky artistic sensibility to any backyard. How often do you find that on your average suburban lawn? On the home renovation side, Wornoff’s approach to 100 per cent reuse/recycling involves fasteners as well as wood and metal content that can be cut, sanded, welded and drilled quite easily…if you are a trained carpenter or a crackerjack amateur.

It’s in

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sli

glo

His skill in efficient wood framing techniques results in less consumption of virgin resources and linear feet of lumber going to landfill. He needs fewer fasteners and there’s more efficient heating and cooling systems within the structure. Less wood is required overall and there’s minimal waste at the end of the job. Wornoff takes the long view of what might be repurposed in a reno by using fasteners, rather than adhesives, which means the pieces, cabinets or whatnot can be removed as a whole instead of being bashed out and dumped as waste. Working with old growth reclaimed wood and vintage Canadian-made steel plays right into Wornoff’s salvager persona, satisfying a desire to celebrate Canada’s industrial history and showcasing vintage design. His High-end furniture made from discarded materials.

... continues on page 36

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WasteExpo 2013

Where environmental concerns meet sustainability solutions. With more than a hint of tabasco. There’s no better way to catch an advance peek at the future than at WasteExpo 2013 in New Orleans. And no better place to drink it all in. It’s a global gathering where the first environmentalists and new experts in sustainability meet to share ideas and intelligence, review the latest best practices and see the best new products in the waste and recycling industry. It’s a time-shifting event where the past meets, shapes and informs the future. It’s where what will be arrives slightly ahead of schedule. Plus, you’ll see fresh and timely content with our ALL-NEW organics management and composting sessions. Visit www.wasteexpo.com for more details on this exciting new content developed with the help of Dr. Stu Buckner. WasteExpo 2013 will also draw eager attendees from around the globe, providing unequalled opportunities for making important connections and advancing business goals. And the setting couldn’t be more conducive to success. So join us. Book now at wasteexpo.com. And get to know hot and spicy up close and personal.

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I C & I WA S T E

... continues from page 14

The AMRC is now the MWA... with a new website to match our new name

www.municipalwaste.ca

Project1

11/13/06

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sense of preservation and concern for the natural environment has turned him into a bit of a specialized hoarder … salvaging, sorting and saving useable items as mundane as screws or as unique as vintage tractor parts. We can only imagine what his garage looks like! This cache of eclectic parts facilitates repurposing and produces unique custom pieces for clients. Wornoff estimates he diverts about 10 tonnes of material from landfill in a busy year through his own direct efforts and by engaging other contacts and salvagers with whom he shares a common bond and purpose. Wornoff’s work space is shared with six other craftsmen, located close to home so he can simply cycle to work. The partners save money and reduce unnecessary duplication by sharing all their tools... welders, drill presses, milling machines, table saws, thickness planers, mitre saws, shears and brakes. A Higher Plane has been recognized and featured on Discovery Channel’s “Junk Raiders” (seasons one through three). The company made the cover of the journal Alternatives and has won various business awards. Wornoff’s salvaging tips were published by Canadian Home Workshop magazine. Considering some home enhancements and fancy yourself a preservationist? A Higher Plane’s website is ahigherplane.ca Diane Blackburn is Events Manager for the Recycling Council of Ontario (RCO) and produces the RCO’s annual Waste Minimization Awards. This column regularly profiles finalists and winners from that awards program. Contact Diane at events@rco.on.ca

36 www.solidwastemag.com February/March 2013

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Advertisers’ Index Company

Page #

February/March 2013

Company

Page #

Americana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Mack Trucks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

AMRC/Municipal Waste Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Mobile Business Communications Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Aqua-Hot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Ontario Waste Management Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Bulk Handling Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Canada Fibers Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Canadian Waste & Recycling Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Paradigm Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Polska Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Trout River Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Clean Energy Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Trux Route Management Systems Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Del Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Environment Business Consultants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Eriez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Golder Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Paul van der Werf/2cg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Van Dyk Recycling Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Walinga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Italian Trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Walker Environmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Keith Walking Floors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Waste Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Machinex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Waste Management, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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BLOG

by Jay Vincent & Jesse McKnight “Due diligence is the first step in developing a renewal strategy.”

Renewal

Keeping your waste contract after you win it

magine you own a landfill company with several key municipal conactivists will help develop the political plan to understand your strengths tracts coming up for bid in the next year or so. What do you need to do and weaknesses and know your opponent. to keep this business and ensure that those contracts get renewed? Has Every client we speak to about an existing contract likes to say how your company been a good corporate neighbor, or have complaints piled much they have donated to the local baseball team, Rotary Club and up with the rubbish to haunt your contract renewal efforts? mayor’s re-election campaign for years. But these well-intentioned efThe answer is not as simple as sending a note to the municipality forts don’t hold as much value in today’s political environment: city requesting an RFP to pursue contract renewal. You need a long-term budgets are stretched and all elected officials are looking for ways to plan to identify political weaknesses in communities you currently serve cut them. As good as you may be, most elected officials see your service and develop strategies to build support in other key market communities or product as a commodity — something just as easily replaced by just as well. putting a different company’s name on the garbage truck. Let’s assume that all planning is political. A political campaign apAs part of this research, your staff may also need training on best pracproach helps to identify what needs to be done to win a landfill contract tices for developing and growing community support to meet your comin the first place. Once the contract is pany’s long-term strategic goals. The won, however, next you must win and most fundamental aspect of having a maintain community support for daily good relationship with your communoperations. Ultimately, you also need a ity is an open line of communication. strategy on how to retain key waste disHaving a designated person who the posal contracts and build new business. neighbors can call with complaints and Due diligence is the first step in decompliments is an easy way to avert veloping a renewal strategy. For your a great many problems. This person company to retain the contracts it alshould be aware enough to respond to ready holds, it’s vital to research and every question and complaint that may develop a long-term political outreach come in within 48 hours. strategy plan focused on the major The worst possible outcome would contracts facing renewal in the coming be that they tell the city, county or years, potential new business and polocal reporter that you did not even tential threats from competitors. respond to their question or inquiry. Collection crew unloading a truck in Toronto where Green For Life (GFL) holds The plan has to provide you with a A call back will be noted and apprea contract. The city has a cart-based single-stream recycling and waste detailed strategy to increase the likeliciated even if the resident doesn’t get collection system. Photo by Guy Crittenden hood of winning renewal of key conthe resolution they sought. tracts. The research has to outline any action items that can build support Such a liaison helps you to stay on top of your daily operations and for you within each community where you already work. It will identify leverage existing assets to strengthen your ties to the community. And don’t current political weaknesses, and will provide timelines to deliver acunderestimate the influence of your drivers. They know the neighborhood complishments to ensure your renewal effort is on track. residents personally and have the most direct relationship with customers. A political audit in key communities will provide information reThere are small simple steps that can be taken that will positively garding how political leaders view you and your operations and identify increase your visibility in the community and enrich your reputation as where political or public relations outreach is needed. a good corporate neighbor. Going back to any work first undertaken to win the contract, it’ll be necessary to research and outline strategies for developing lists of supJay Vincent is chief business development officer and business practice porters in each community. These strategies may include direct mail, leader for the waste industry for The Saint Consulting Group, email social networking and door-to-door outreach. vincent@tscg.biz; Jesse McKnight is executive vice president for The Research with your staff, local elected officials and key community Saint Consulting Group, email mcknight@tscg.biz

38 www.solidwastemag.com February/March 2013

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