Solid Waste & Recycling Magazine October/November 2011

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Solid Waste & Recycling Canada’s magazine on collection, hauling, processing and disposal October/November 2011 $10.00

SINGLE-STREAM RECYCLING Best practices boost performance — page 8

CPMP No. 40069240

An EcoLog Group Publication

Zero waste toolkit for public events — pages 16 swr 01 o-n Cover nl.indd 1

18/10/11 10:54 AM

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Solid Waste & Recycling

CONTENTS October/November 2011 Volume 16, Number 5

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

COVER STORY We’ve heard about problems with single-stream recycling programs; it’s time to look at best practices that boost performance and increase the value of diverted materials.

by Janet DeMarcke

8 Cover art by Charles Jaffe

SINGLE-STREAM RECYCLING

CLEANTECH

FEATURES RECYCLING: PUBLIC EVENTS A program to reduce waste at festivals and community events.

by Jo-Anne St. Godard

16

CLEANTECH OPINION: RENEWABLE MARKETS

by Aaron Atcheson 22

LANDFILL TECHNOLOGY: LFGE Waste Management’s gas-to-energy plant near Drummondville, Quebec.

by Guy Crittenden

(PAGES 22-26)

18

CLEANTECH: WASTE-TO-ENERGY Paradox Engineering wirelesssensor solution.

by Guy Crittenden

23

DEPARTMENTS Editorial Up Front OWMA Report Organic Matters Waste Business

4 6 28 31 34

Regulation Roundup News Products Ad Index Blog

36 39 43 45 46

NEXT EDITION Supplement: Annual Buyers’ Guide and Directory Promotion and education. Small appliances. Transfer stations.

Roll-off containers and bins.

Space closing: November 19 Artwork required: November 21

Public events, page 16.

Landfill gas, page 18.

Waste-to-energy sensors, page 23.

October/November 2011 www.solidwastemag.com 3

EDITORIAL

by Guy Crittenden “Being the 800-pound industry gorilla, the company was in a great position to pick a proven technology.”

Bottleneck What happened in Spartanburg

S

partanburg. The name sounds like a civil war battlefield, and in the realm of beverage container recycling, that’s what it’s been; the scene of the Coca-Cola Company’s failed attempt at bottle-to-bottle PET recycling. The so-called NURRC plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina was a joint venture with 51 per cent partner United Resource Recovery Corp. LLC; its saga reveals how the commercial agenda of a multinational company can undermine its own stated sustainable development goals.

It all began in the spring of 2000 when Coca-Cola announced plans to use 10 per cent recycled content in several billion (one in four) of its North American PET beverage containers. Industry observers recalled a similar announcement Coke made a decade earlier about achieving 25 per cent recycled content; a promise that quietly slipped away.

They were skeptical.

Coke investigated different technologies. Being the 800-pound industry gorilla, the company was in a great position to pick a proven technology. The company had previously tried depolymerization (which breaks down PET into monomers and then rebuilds new polymers) but found it too expensive.

With much fanfare, the company ultimately partnered with URRC and invested $45 million in the Spartanburg plant, which launched into full production in the fall of 2008, with the capacity of recycling 45 million tons of PET per year. In doing so, Coke chose a direct-blend approach in which existing polymers are preserved and deep-cleaned for reuse.

Just three years later in May 2011 the company shuttered the plant, then tried to sell it. When a buyer couldn’t be found, Coke made rumblings that it would re-open, though it appears to not be running anywhere near capacity, and it seems most of the PET is being “downcycled” and not used to make new bottles. Coke’s recycling management executives have been reshuffled and the future of recycled content in Coca-Cola bottles remains uncertain. (The company’s bottles reportedly contain just three per cent recycled content these days.)

So, what went wrong?

First there was the challenge of markets. Recycled PET can always be sold for lower-end uses like fibre, strapping and furniture, for which use most of it is bought by companies in China. Bottle-to-bottle PET recycling is a tougher act, relying (beyond technical challenges) on a certain utilization rate and yield (as a function of the cost of buying the PET) to make economic sense.

Recycled PET has tended to be more expensive than virgin PET, due to the supply/demand equation. With demand so strong, PET prices could be lowered via increased supply — something that would happen quickly if more jurisdictions adopted deposit-refund systems. Overall PET recycling rates have stagnated for years in curbside systems, varying between about 25 per cent and 33 per cent, while recovery rates in the 11 bottle bill states are far higher (averaging 70 per cent).

Yet Coke and the soft drink industry actively oppose bottle bills, the very thing that could increase supply, lower prices, and improve the quality of baled material sent for recycling.

Beyond markets, Coke invested in the deep clean technology just as the industry moved to lightweight its bottles; the bottles flew off the Spartanburg equipment, leaving only the bottle necks and bottoms.

Worse, at the Spartanburg plant Coke only accepted PET materials from curbside collection systems, eschewing bottles from deposit states. It made this commitment just as single-stream recycling programs took flight. As was predictable, contaminated bales from the single-stream programs caused the Spartanburg operation to hemorrhage. Of its 50 million ton capacity, only about one million tons of processed PET went into bottles; the balance going to other applications. Coke reportedly ignored requests from operating partner URRC to switch to cleaner PET from bottle bill programs. Coke insisted on ordering new equipment, which was more expensive and didn’t solve all the problems.

A cynic might say Coke never wanted the plant to succeed in the first place. But it’s difficult to imagine the company investing $50 million in an operation it knew would fail. It’s more likely that the company’s commercial agenda undermined its commitment to achieve 10 per cent recycled content in a practical manner.

Coke has announced a new “PlantBottle” scheme to eventually manufacture all its bottles from plant (sugar cane) materials, which it says can be recycled just like PET. The Disani water line is currently made up from 30 per cent plant-based materials, and Coke says it’s moving toward 100 per cent plant content and the eventual recycling of all its containers. But without deposit-refund systems, it’s difficult to see how this will happen.

After its defeat at Spartanburg, the burden of proof remains with Coca-Cola to prove its recycling announcements are more than just marketing.

Guy Crittenden is editor of this magazine. Contact Guy at gcrittenden@solidwastemag.com 4 www.solidwastemag.com October/November 2011

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 Jamie Ross Account Manager jross@solidwastemag.com Kim Collins Market Production Anita Madden Circulation Manager Carol Bell-Lenoury Mgr EcoLog Group Bruce Creighton President Business Information Group Contributing Editors Michael Cant, Rosalind Cooper, Maria Kelleher, 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.

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 12 Concorde Pl, Ste 800 Toronto, ON Canada M3C 4J2 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. © 2011 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior consent.

Print edition: ISSN-1483-7714

Online edition: ISSN-1923-3388

Groundbreaking at future Durham York Energy Centre

O

n August 17, 2011, the Regional Municipalities of Durham and York held an official groundbreaking ceremony for the new Durham York Energy Centre (DYEC), a state-of-the-art, waste-to-energy (WTE) facility that was made possible due to funding from the federal Gas Tax Fund.

The DYEC will process the residential waste that remains after Durham and Preferred concept rendering of the Durham York Energy Centre provided by Covanta York Regions’ aggressive composting and Energy and McMillan Associates Architects. recycling programs, while also recovering materials and energy. Through thermal mass burn technology, the municipal solid waste is fed into a furnace where it is burned at temperatures above 1,000° C. The remaining ash is then shipped to landfill or reused in product manufacturing.

“The Regional Municipality of Durham has been working towards a long-term waste management solution since 1999, and we’ve found an answer in the Durham York Energy Centre,” said Regional Chair and Chief Executive Officer Roger Anderson. “This facility will continue to support our waste policy by encouraging the public to further reduce, reuse and recycle their waste, in an effort to ensure that what is left can still be recovered. Now that construction is about to commence, I expect the facility to be fully operational by the end of 2014.”

The process also includes production of high-pressure steam, which is fed through a turbine generator that produces electricity. When operating at design capacity, the electricity sold to the provincial grid is sufficient to power about 10,000 homes, while the future district heating system will produce heat equivalent to the needs of 2,200 homes.

“Today’s groundbreaking signals the start of construction of the first energy-from– waste facility built in Ontario in 22 years,” said York Region Chairman and CEO Bill Fisch. “York and Durham Regions are committed to the diversion of residual waste from landfill and thermal treatment of waste is smart technology to achieve our goals.”

The Durham York Energy Centre will have a maximum capacity of 140,000 tonnes per year. The Region of Durham is entitled to process up to 110,000 tonnes each year, while York Region is entitled to process up to 30,000 tonnes annually.

Funding for this project was made possible by the federal Gas Tax Fund. This program provides municipalities with a source of stable and predictable funding for environmentally sustainable infrastructure, while also helping to stimulate economic development, create new jobs, and improve infrastructure to support economic growth and long-term prosperity.

“Covanta is excited to be a part of this tremendous partnership with the Regions of Durham and York. The Regions’ development of a sustainable solid waste management strategy that incorporates a state-of-the-art energy-from-waste facility sets the standard for others to follow,” said Anthony J. Orlando, president and chief executive officer of Covanta Energy. “Bringing complex infrastructure projects like this to fruition takes strong leadership and courage of conviction to challenge the status quo. The Regions’ should be applauded for their vision and efforts to bring this project to reality.”

Visit www.durhamyorkwaste.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

6 www.solidwastemag.com October/November 2011

Canadian Stewardship Awards

A

large luncheon crowd was on hand for the Canadian Stewardship Awards held as part of the Conference on Canadian Stewardship in Halifax, Nova Scotia (September 19-21, 2001. The conference was well-attended with more than 350 delegates from a wide range of stakeholder groups in industry and government who met to discuss the many emerging stewardship and producer responsibility programs emerging across the country.

To view conference presentations and learn about the next conference, visit www.canadianstewardship.com

(Left to right) Bill Ring (CEO RRFB Nova Scotia), Barry Friesen (General Manager, CleanFARMS, accepting for Cam Davreaux, Individual Award Winner, Canadian Stewardship Awards), Ted Moroz (President , The Beer Store, Business/Organization Award Winner), Rick Ramsay (Chairman, RRFB Nova Scotia).

Guelph organics plant opens

Guelphs’ new organics processing facility receives its first load on the tip floor.

T

he City of Guelph, Ontario’s organic waste is once again being turned into clean, useful compost with the opening of the city’s new Organic Waste Processing Facility. The facility uses aerobic, in-vessel composting technology, which uses less energy and generates fewer greenhouse gas emissions than transporting organic waste long distances for processing or landfilling.

“The Organic Waste Processing Facility is a great example of what the federal Gas Tax Fund offers to communities,” said the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.

“This is a very proud moment for our community,” said Mayor Karen Farbridge. “This new facility provides a local, long-term solution to managing Guelph’s organic waste. Today, we are re-establishing Guelph’s leadership position as a community that responsibly manages its own waste.”

The facility accepted its first truckload of organic waste at an official opening event. Organic waste that Guelph residents and businesses leave at curbside will now be composted at the facility, which is part of the city’s Waste Resource Innovation Centre on Dunlop Drive.

This is expected to increase Guelph’s waste diversion rate by 10 per cent, enabling it to achieve its overall diversion target of 55 per cent by

Ribbon-cutting ceremony with (Left to right): Dean Wyman, General Manager of Solid Waste Resources, City of Guelph; Janet Laird, Executive Director of Planning, Building, Engineering & Environmental Services, City of Guelph; Hans Horbach, Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Toronto; Karen Farbridge, Mayor of Guelph; John Haanstra, Vice President Environmental Construction, Maple Reinders Group Ltd.

2012. Guelph’s former composting plant closed in 2006, and since then organic waste has been shipped to a waste-to-energy facility in New York State.

The facility is designed to process 30,000 tonnes of organic material per year. Guelph generates approximately 10,000 tonnes per year. To take advantage of its excess capacity, which was included to ensure efficiencies of scale and allow for future population growth, the facility will accept organic waste from other municipalities, which will reduce operating and capital costs. The total budget for the plant was $32.8-million. Gas tax funds provided by the Government of Canada contributed $4.6-million to the project.

October/November 2011 www.solidwastemag.com 7

Single-Stream

Recycling

Best practices improve quality output, reduce residue and costs

Quality control on fibre lines at an Emterra MRF.

8 www.solidwastemag.com October/November 2011

COVER STORY

by Janet DeMarcke “The residue range is within a few points of well-managed twostream systems, so the city is happy.”

P

lenty has been written about the pros and cons of single-stream and two-stream residential recycling, including comparisons of product quality, cost-effectiveness, overall diversion and more.

For many the debate continues.

From my perspective, based on over a decade as environmental manager responsible for a city residential waste management program, I’ve learned a lot about what makes single-stream recycling work for us.

Home is Chilliwack, BC — the third oldest municipality in the province (incorporated in 1873). Located along the TransCanada Highway 100 kilometres or so east of Vancouver, Chilliwack has over 80,000 residents. The residential collection service is provided to about 20,000 properties. Our diversion currently sits at 38 per cent and we’ve set a target of 43 per cent by 2015. If we move forward with a food scrap collection program the diversion rate may be as high as 60 per cent in a very short period.

In 2004, we converted from a voluntary system of 15 recycling depots to a mandatory, residential single-stream recycling program and, frankly, we haven’t looked back.

The city examined multi- and single-stream recycling and decided on single-stream for the same reasons that drew other municipalities to take a closer look: convenience, ease and the potential of lower collection costs, along with higher participation and higher recyclables capture rates.

We knew we had to make the program as simple as possible, otherwise residents wouldn’t climb on board. It worked. More people participated in recycling and everyone recycled more. Our diversion rate rose from 13 per cent to 34 per cent in the first year.

When we adopted single-stream we didn’t go the automated system route because of the increased cost. Instead, we told residents to keep using their garbage-type cans, well-marked for garbage, recyclables and yard waste. Containers without lids and open blue boxes are inappropriate in Chilliwack because of animals and the amount of rain we get on the West Coast. The advantage for us is that the drivers can check the contents of the cans and our contractor of two and a half years, Emterra Environmental, has trained their collectors to take that little extra time to tag and leave behind unacceptable materials. As we all know, once it’s in the truck, it’s a whole different matter.

Bob Graham, principal of Entec Consulting Ltd., advises clients on how to operate efficient MRFs in Canada, the US and internationally. He says successful single-stream comes down to two things: a combination of a good operator who pays attention to detail and a good MRF design.

He labels looking at the blue bin contents before dumping them into the truck as “single-stream best practice number two,” pointing to it as a fatal flaw in many programs. Best practice number one is continuous

communication and education directed at residents about what goes in and doesn’t go into recycling.

Graham notes that the real cost savings in single-stream are found at the collection stage — typically the largest cost centre in municipal solid waste management. He says that usually larger municipalities will see bigger savings because of economies of scale. In other words, it’s about collection efficiency.

“A lot of municipalities have proven that single-stream recycling can save money on the collection side because they were able to move to more efficient and less expensive collection,” Graham says, “or to take advantage of co-collecting organics along with recyclables.

“Single-stream gives municipalities a chance to add new materials, too, cutting costs while increasing diversion. Municipalities that pick up only recyclables often can make use of their existing garbage packer trucks, making single-stream collection even more cost effective.”

Chilliwack’s experience shows that our contractor has been able to use its fleet more efficiently. It uses fewer trucks in the urban area of the city and maximizes the space available reducing the number of trips to and from the transfer station to unload. Emterra was able to cut two trucks out of the fleet needed to serve our municipality. Fewer trucks and fewer trips to the transfer station translate into lower fuel requirements, less GHG emissions and a lower carbon footprint. (According to greenfleetsbc.com, taking two trucks off the road saves an equivalent of more than 180 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.)

Graham summarizes that “a well designed collection operation can more than offset the increased costs on the processing side typically seen in single-stream.”

Single stream’s bad rap Nevil Davies is Emterra’s general manager for the BC mainland including Emterra’s Surrey MRF where Chilliwack’s single stream materials are processed.

“Single stream’s reputation for producing poor quality materials was probably deserved in some quarters, but you can’t tar every processor with the same brush,” Davies says. “The technological advancements from equipment manufacturers in the past five or six years have solved many of the problems processors encountered; for example, fibre contaminated with tiny glass particles.”

But even with today’s better optical sorters and flexible disc screens, Davies says the answer to a better quality product that consistently meets and exceeds market specs is knowing exactly what the equipment is capable of doing in all kinds of weather conditions, and being able to adjust the equipment on the fly. His cardinal rule is to Continues on page 13 October/November 2011 www.solidwastemag.com 9

COVER STORY

Are You the Person We’re Looking For? Emterra Group – Vice-President of Ontario Operations As a Canadian leader in providing innovative integrated waste diversion and recycling solutions, Emterra Group proudly serves over 10% of Canada’s municipal population through more than 30 municipal collection and processing contracts in three provinces.

As well, our commitment to continuous improvement is driving our business goal of becoming a leader in waste collection and material recovery serving the ICI sector.

Our company is undertaking a new phase of dynamic growth and playing a greater role in the communities and sectors we serve. We are seeking an experienced, energetic business manager with 10-15 years in the waste management or recycling field to fill a key leadership role in our growth-oriented organization. Reporting directly to the CEO, the VP of Operations for Ontario will be responsible for the overall management and development of Emterra Environmental’s waste collection and material recovery services across Ontario for both municipal and ICI clients.

The right candidate is well regarded across the recycling, waste and diversion industries, has demonstrated technical acumen with respect to material processing and collection technologies, and is able to perform in a quick-paced, innovative and entrepreneurial environment. He or she will share our commitment to helping our current and future clients achieve their Zero Waste goals. With proven financial management skills, the successful candidate will have the ability to think strategically and act decisively. Salary is commensurate with experience and includes a competitive bonus plan and benefits package.

For further information, and to submit your resume, please contact Ann Tavares, HRLogic (email: tavares@rogers.com; phone: 416-837-0770).

www.emterra.ca Thinking innovatively Transforming waste to resources 10 www.solidwastemag.com October/November 2011

COVER STORY

Bob’s and Nevil’s 12 Best Practices in Single Stream Recycling 1. Communicate with residents effectively and regularly about what is acceptable (and what’s not) in single stream recycling.

2. When using recycling boxes at the curb, inspect for contamination. Tag and leave unacceptable materials, if possible. (Video cameras are being used in some cases to allow drivers to watch carts being emptied. When unacceptable materials are noted, the address is recorded and a message sent to the householder.)

3. Undertake regular, detailed audits of incoming loads at the tipping floor. If a neighbourhood is consistently producing contaminated loads, initiate remedial education activities.

4. Invest in thorough training for drivers, tipping floor spotters and pre-sort line workers so each knows what’s acceptable and what isn’t.

5. Invest in a good MRF design and proper equipment.

6. Plan for a pre-sort line that is sufficiently long and accommodates enough stations to allow workers adequate

time and space to do a thorough pre-sort of incoming mixed materials.

7. Know the capabilities of the equipment in all weather and material conditions and be able to adjust the equipment on the fly to improve material separation efficiency.

8. Monitor the quality of the material being sorted regularly (e.g. hourly) and adjust the processing line (e.g. faster, slower, tilt screens, etc.) to improve material quality.

9. Maintain equipment.

10. Audit the products at the back end of the process to document what is being sent to markets (to avoid being dependant on feedback from markets regarding the quality of the output).

11. Audit the residue stream to assess sorting efficiency and to determine if lower value materials can be removed and marketed to avoid landfilling.

12. Nurture long-term relationships with markets by providing product that consistently meets or exceeds specs.

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October/November 2011 www.solidwastemag.com 11

COVER STORY

Some footprints are bigger than others

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Recover Energy-from-Waste.

Each year, Canadians recycle approximately 8 million tonnes of waste, but still landfill an additional 27 million tonnes. Take that landfilled waste and turn it into energy and you could power approximately 1.7 million homes and offset 27 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, the equivalent of pulling over 5 million cars off the road for a year.

For more information, visit CovantaEnergy.com.

12 www.solidwastemag.com October/November 2011

COVER STORY

“When we figure out how to minimize cross-contamination and still meet capacity targets, operation costs will drop and material quality will climb,” he predicts.

Meanwhile Davies says that processors have their work cut out for them. Emterra reviews and works with processing data in real

time, as the lines are running, and then depending on what’s seen, change the speed, change the angle of the screen or alter the amount of agitation in order to get a better product.

It’s not just about machinery, either. Davies pays attention to the tipping floor spotters’

www.wastequip.com

Life on The sTreeT is Tough.

BuT we’re Tougher.

Emterra driver collects recyclables in Chilliwack, BC.

continued from page 9 check material quality regularly (as often as hourly) and if material streams have unsatisfactory amounts of cross-material contamination, slow down the line.

Slowing the line down, though, has a consequence. It results in higher quality materials, Davies says, but at the cost of productivity.

“Processors need equipment for singlestream materials that delivers both speed and quality, no matter what the weather conditions or the initial state of the incoming materials or any of the other variables that can affect how the equipment operates day to day, sometimes hour to hour.” He adds that single-stream processors are managing with the equipment available to them but that they have to be innovative to coax out a better balance of capacity and quality.

Davies thinks that technological improvements can only come from a willingness on the part of processors to share what they’ve learned about how to bridge the gap between capacity and quality. He thinks the best way to do that is to write contracts that ask for results based on processors’ experience in using existing equipment.

with virtually double the life expectancy of other brands, Toter carts are survivors. even in the roughest climates and surroundings, they’re known to provide up to 20 years of active service life so they need a lot less repair along the way. Add up their years of service and factor in fewer repair and replacement trips and accompanying fuel costs, and you can see that Toter carts are your best investment by far. why we’re so Tough

• Instead of high density polyethylene (HDPE)

used by injection molders, we use medium density polyethylene (MDPE) in our patented Advanced Rotational Molding® process, which yields superior durability, flexibility and impact resistance.

• Our patented Rugged Rim® plus extra material in critical wear areas ensure Toter carts withstand rough handling.

Nestable with lids and wheels attached

21, 32, 48, 64 & 96 gallon sizes

To see our full line of carts call 877.468.9278 or visit www.wastequip.com.

Visit us at waste expo, booth #1723

October/November 2011 www.solidwastemag.com 13 9259-WW WQ Toter_4.5x7.5.indd 2

3/22/11 11:30 AM

COVER STORY

What is Emterra Group?

If you see the name Emterra Group, you might wonder what it is, who they are, or what they do. For many, the name doesn’t conjure up thoughts of “Canadian leader in innovative waste management solutions” — nor that the founder and CEO is the recipient of awards and recognitions that would take five minutes to list if you were introducing her, including the Order of Canada in Recognition of Significant Contribution to Compatriots, Community and to Canada.

Yet Emterra has had a presence in the Canadian solid waste management industry for 35 years. Under different names, it has carved out a niche for itself — and a big niche at that — among the “big boys” of solid waste management.

With 400 trucks, more than 800 hundred employees and 14 material recovery facilities (MRFs) in Ontario, Manitoba and BC, Emterra has a solid presence in the industry. It’s the only resource management company that has three single-stream MRFs in the country.

Its corporate commitment promises clients that it will do a better job of collecting, processing and marketing recyclables so that less of their waste goes to landfill, helping them progress steadily toward their Zero Waste goals and reducing their carbon footprint… and doing it all for less.

“Where others see garbage, we see only opportunity,” said Emterra’s head, Emmie Leung.

“We work hard to find the opportunity in every challenge. There is value in everything — even waste.”

She built her first business on that philosophy as a newly minted Bachelor of Commerce graduate from the University of Manitoba. One day in 1976, while walking around her Winnipeg neighbourhood, she noticed that local businesses were throwing away a valuable resource — cardboard boxes and other waste paper.

Leung knew she could market these materials so she moved to Vancouver to be closer to transportation hubs and established International Paper Industries (IPI). She wore every hat: truck driver, collector, sorter, baler, forklift operator, bookkeeper, business developer and CEO. From that daunting beginning, she has kept adding services and expanding the business.

As packaging and paper recycling and landfill capacity crises gained momentum, Leung

competed for and began winning contracts to collect both garbage and recyclables for municipalities and the IC&I sector. A believer in sustainability before it became a household word, she looked for ways that she could reuse and recycle in her own operations.

Her tenacity for putting her head down to get the job done, to market materials that met her buyers’ specs and to deliver efficient and costeffective services for her clients earned her the nickname, “the dragon lady.” She laughs at it, almost wearing it proudly.

“I had to be tough,” she retorts. “I was a woman… and an Asian woman at that, in a man’s world.”

The company thrived. In the 1990s, IPI grew beyond its BC roots, establishing an offshoot called Halton Recycling Ltd. in Ontario. In 2003, IPI started the company’s first single-stream MRF in Manitoba. In 2008 both of these companies, along with the original IPI in BC, were brought together under the new name, Emterra Environmental.

Emterra Environmental, a division of Emterra Group, provides municipal and IC&I clients in the three provinces with integrated resource recovery (collection, processing and marketing of recyclables) and waste collection services.

Serving more than 10 per cent of Canada’s population, in 2010, Emterra Environmental’s

quality control and the number of stations needed along the pre-sort line.

“It’s no good coming to the end of the month and reporting to your customer how you failed to produce products that markets will accept,” he says.

And Chilliwack couldn’t agree more. Reports show our recyclables consistently meet specs. And that means added value.

Through an aggressive program of finding viable markets for lower valued materials, Chilliwack indirectly saves money. For example, instead of landfilling a low value product as residue, the contractor looks for an environmentally responsible market. Even if they give

clients spanned 58 municipalities through 33 municipal waste and recycling collection, processing and marketing contracts. It collected, processed and marketed more than 300,000 metric tonnes of recyclables, 50 per cent through single-stream programs. It also collected 495,000 metric tonnes of organics and waste.

Emterra demonstrates that it consistently measures up when it comes to marketing quality materials, getting letter after letter of testimonials from happy customers. Just one of them is Kevin Andrews, general manager of Merlin Plastics Supply Inc., one of Canada’s largest postconsumer plastics processors. He says Merlin has been buying post-consumer plastics from Emterra’s BC, Manitoba and Ontario locations for two decades and that Emterra’s “excellence in material recycling operations makes ours a partnership of tremendous strength.”

Emterra’s corporate mission, and the reason they can promise increased waste diversion, goes deeper than mainstream recyclables. They put in extra time to find lesser known, responsible markets that want or can use lower value mixed materials. As a result of those efforts, Emterra Environmental’s MRFs have the lowest residual levels in the industry, ranging from 3 per cent in multi-stream collection programs to less than 10 per cent in single-stream.

Striving for sustainability and a reduced carbon footprint in Emterra Environmental is just part of a bigger picture. Emterra has two other divisions, Emterra Tire Recycling and Canadian Liquids Processors Limited. Emterra Tire in Brampton, Ontario is one of only five companies in the province that collects and recycles discarded and unsaleable tires.

Through innovative proprietary technology, they process tires into three products — crumb rubber, steel and fibre. Emterra Tire is a certified hauler and processor of tires under the Ontario Tire Stewardship program. Canadian Liquids Processors in Hamilton, Ontario specializes in confidential product destruction, producing ethanol from liquid waste, and packaging and paper recycling resulting in effective and environmentally conscious recycling.

So who is Emterra Group? It appears to be one of the major players in resource management in Canada today.

the product to someone for basically the transportation cost, they’ve saved the tip fee… and it keeps our residue rate in the four per cent to 4.5 per cent range depending on the contamination coming in at the front end from residents. That range is certainly within a few points of well-managed two-stream systems, so the city is happy.

After the experience we’ve had in Chilliwack, I’m convinced that through these best practices — good product input, attention to detail, maximizing equipment capabilities, meeting quality specs and finding market for lower value materials — single-stream will earn the respect it deserves.

Janet DeMarcke is the Environment Manager, Engineering Department for the City of Chilliwack, BC. Contact Janet at demarcke@chilliwack.com (Bob Graham can be reached at entec@sympatico.ca and Nevil Davies can be reached at Nevil.Davies@emterra.ca) 14 www.solidwastemag.com October/November 2011

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RECYCLING

by Jo-Anne St. Godard “When activated in 2012, it will form the basis for the new Certification Program.”

Let’s Get This Party Started!

A zero waste toolkit for festivals and public events

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rom the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in Toronto to the Bluegrass Festival in Tottenham, to the Cranberry Festival in Bala, Ontario is rich with festivals and events, which number in the 5,000 range. For the millions of who enjoy festivals, food and beverages are an integral part of the experience. In an effort to help reduce waste and recover more recyclables, the Recycling Council of Ontario (RCO), the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Coca-Cola Canada announced a partnership at the end of August 2011 to bring festivals towards zero waste.

The partnership provides waste reduction resources and information to community festivals and events through an innovative online toolkit designed by RCO for all sizes and types of events. The toolkit offers

practical information and resources to all users, be they seasoned recyclers or in the initial stages of a waste management program.

Funded by a $100,000 donation from the Coca-Cola Foundation as well as funds from the province’s environment ministry, RCO’s Zero Waste Community Event Certification Program is an innovative solution to the growing waste generated at events, festivals and open spaces. The toolkit was designed based on global research that leveraged the best tools and recycling activities from around the world. When activated in 2012, it will form the basis for the new Certification Program to help festivals measure and verify their recycling results, giving them positive public recognition.

Coca-Cola’s support for RCO’s program came as it rolled out

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As part of its “Give it Back” recycling program, Coca-Cola Canada provided 186 syrup barrels to the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), which were re-purposed to collect recycling at the annual festival.

another important recycling effort — the “Give it Back” program with the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). To support the program, Coca-Cola provided 186 beverage syrup concentrate barrels which were re-purposed as recycling collection barrels.

The CNE deployed a total of 575 recycling barrels on the grounds this year. Last year’s efforts yielded a beverage container recycling rate of over 83 per cent and diverted over 50 metric tonnes of beverage containers from landfill to recycling. In addition, the Coca-Cola Recycling Education Vehicle (REV) was at the CNE grounds to educate visitors on the importance of recycling through fun and interactive video games and contests.

“The CNE takes recycling very seriously and Coca-Cola’s deployment of over 186 recycling containers will help our recycling efforts,” said the CNE’s David Bednar. “Each year we work with partners to look for innovative ways to green the fair.”

“With environmental issues and rising costs playing a major role in events these days, we need to maximize our efficiencies in the way we do things,” said Ron Oatman, Volunteer Recycling Coordinator for Burlington’s annual Ribfest festival.

The Zero Waste Toolkit is scheduled to launch later this fall and the accompanying Certification Program will be offered in spring 2012, at the beginning of the festival season.

For more information visit www.rco.on.ca Jo-Anne St. Godard is Executive Director of the Recycling Council of Ontario, in Toronto, Ontario. Contact Jo-Anne at joanne@rco.on.ca

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LANDFILL TECHNOLOGY

FIELD EXPERTS

by Guy Crittenden “Waste Management will invest $13 million in the electrical power plant.”

Environment and Energy Complex Waste Management’s new landfi ll energy project in Dummondville, Quebec

Construction at the Environmental and Energy Complex in Drummondville (EECD).

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ith construction underway at its landfill-gas-to-energy facility near Drummondville, Quebec, Waste Management (is embarked on building a stateof-the-art complex dedicated to extracting value from waste.

The facility will produce electricity using methane gas drawn from a landfill site in the Saint-Nicéphore district of Drummondville.

18 www.solidwastemag.com October/November 2011

Not only will it generate 7.6 megawatts of electricity annually — enough energy to power the equivalent of 6,500 homes — but the heat produced by the plant’s engines will also be recovered and used to heat a greenhouse complex.

Waste Management will invest $13 million in the electrical power plant, which is expected to become operational in 2012. But

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that’s just the beginning; it’s part of an even larger project called the Environmental and Energy Complex in Drummondville (EECD).

This advanced waste solutions complex will include an eco-center, a construction and demolition material facility, a new environmentally engineered landfill area and an organics processing facility.

“We’re no longer just a waste collection company,” says Martin Dussault, WM’s Director of Public Affairs in Quebec. “Today across our organization, we manage waste for its resource potential.”

Following a public bidding process, the energy project was selected by HydroQuébec for its environmental benefits and energy efficiency. The construction of the plant and greenhouse complex is expected to create some 50 jobs in the area.

In addition, the Waste Management has built a school on its property — the Centre for Business Training and Recovery (CBTR) — in partnership with the Des Chênes School Board. The school serves more than 125 students, and as part of its curriculum provides training in the recycling of electronic waste. Some 260 tons of e-waste were recycled last year alone — the equivalent of about 15 semi-trailer trucks filled to capacity.

Guy Crittenden is editor of this magazine.

Contact Guy at gcrittenden@solidwastemag.com 20 www.solidwastemag.com October/November 2011

CLEANTECH: OPINION

Uncertainty in Renewables

N

by Aaron Atcheson

“The Progressive Conservative leader that he would cancel the program and terminate the contract with Samsung.”

ot surprising for an emerging sector such as renewable energy, the industry continues to require incentives of some kind to promote private development in Canadian jurisdictions. And so, in a year with a federal election, five provincial and two territorial elections, not to mention the PC Alberta leadership race and the “will she/won’t she” questions in British Columbia, there is considerable uncertainty within the renewable energy development community in Canada. But in particular, the sprint for the premiership of Canada’s lead jurisdiction in renewable energy development — Ontario — has both slowed the progress of the industry in Canada and threatened its future.

Whether you support Ontario’s feed-in tariff (FIT) program and its significantly elevated electricity purchase prices, or the Liberal government’s deal with international player Samsung to build production facilities for the wind and solar industries, it is clear that both of these initiatives have had a hand in progressing the development of a renewable energy sector in Canada’s most populous province.

While the program is imperfect — with goals as diverse as the replacement of carbon intensive energy production to the creation of “green jobs” (not to mention struggles relating to connecting new power production to the grid and changes in the regulatory environment) — the first significant feed-in tariff program in North America has received significant international attention, and many global players are now involved in Ontario in some way.

Unfortunately for the program, development has been slowed significantly by transmission capacity constraints and by regulators, and also because of the

statements of the Progressive Conservative leader that he would cancel the program and terminate the contract with Samsung, not to mention put in a moratorium on new wind development to allow for additional health studies. Prior to the writ being dropped, the PC party had a significant lead in the polls, resulting in these threats being taken seriously.

Add to this the Liberals’ own changes in direction — such as their withdrawal of support for offshore wind — plus application processing delays at several levels, and a chill has been cast over the entire renewable energy development sector in the province.

In order to limit the damage, the Ontario government has taken some extraordinary measures.

Within one week in August, the Minister of Energy ordered the Ontario Power Authority to offer waivers of termination rights in FIT contracts where projects had procured components, the Ministry of Finance proposed new rules clarifying the property tax assessment of renewable energy projects, and the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Natural resources and Ministry of Tourism and Culture all announced efforts to speed up the project approval process. However, it appears that these measures have come too close to the election and the biannual review of FIT pricing to have had much of an impact.

Combine the situation in Ontario with the delays in moving forward with Clean Energy Act initiatives in B.C., the possibility of a number of provincial government changes, and the lack of a significant federal program to support the industry, and many sector participants are questioning their decision to expand into Canada. It promises to be an interesting year ahead!

Aaron Atcheson is a Partner and Chair of Miller Thomson LLP’s CleanTech Group in London, Ontario.

Contact Aaron at aatcheson@millerthomson.com 22 www.solidwastemag.com October/November 2011

CLEANTECH: WASTE-TO-ENERGY

Waste-to-Energy Monitoring Wireless sensor network monitors key parameters

by Guy Crittenden

W

aste-to-energy (WTE) plants are very complex technical systems, and Hitachi Zosen Inova AG is among the world’s leading experts in the generation of energy based on waste as fuel. More than 500 plants throughout the world show the company’s professionalism in planning, engineering, dependable project management, commissioning, and on-schedule handover of facilities, with comprehensive packages of services and plant operation on request.

But in order to ensure stable, energy efficient and sustainable operation of WTE plants several subsystems are required: the monitoring process is therefore of key importance to ensure that they work correctly and that all operations are properly integrated.

Hitachi Zosen Inova recently decided to test a new solution to monitor one of their WTE plants: the wireless sensor network solution by Paradox Engineering.

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CLEANTECH: WASTE-TO-ENERGY

The PE.WSNi node installed in the waste bunker.

HARSH WTE ENVIRONMENTS

After the start up of the plant, systems have very often to be optimized, and in this phase the monitoring of process parameters is of major importance. Additionally, distances within the plant are often long, which makes troubleshooting and testing operations complex and time consuming.

In the WTE plant in Lausanne, Switzerland this was exactly the situation: it required a reliable monitoring system which also had to withstand (as in any of such plants) extreme operating conditions. High temperatures, thick concrete walls, moisture, steam; in such environments, monitoring systems must guarantee easy set up, minimal operations, reliability, and help to keep maintenance costs under control.

From among others on the market, Hitachi Zosen Inova selected Paradox Engineering’s Industrial Wireless Sensor Network (PE.WSNi) to overcome these challenges. A first test to verify the reliability of PE.WSNi in the plant in Lausanne was performed: the PE.WSNi node was installed in the waste bunker. It was attached to two microwave radar level measurements via 4-20 mA transmitters. The PE.WSNi gateway was installed in the plant control room, separated from the bunker trough a thick concrete wall.

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CLEANTECH: WASTE-TO-ENERGY

Inside the Hitachi Zosen Inova power plant in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The gateway stored one-minute level measurements of the waste level in the feed hopper. In this test phase, data was downloaded into .csv format and used first of all as an indicator of system reliability, and secondly for statistics and monitoring.

The expectations of Martin Steiner, R&D project manager, and of Urs Hugentobler, manager project engineering tools, not only related to swift and easy systems monitoring and cost reduction, but the ability to go beyond local data collection and get to

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October/November 2011 www.solidwastemag.com 25

CLEANTECH: WASTE-TO-ENERGY

the next level of data penetration and measurement.

After a smooth installation phase, the test gave positive results.

The only obstacle was the two 4-20mA analog input channels on the I/O module that are not galvanically separated. To overcome this, it was enough to pay particular attention to the connection of external power supplies. A discussion with PE engineers clarified this matter, and the problem was solved using a second 24V supply.

“For troubleshooting and optimization, PE.WSNi allows us to monitor important parameters of the system in a very easy way,’’ Steiner says. “It allows us to reduce the costs for experimental installations for R&D projects, enabling us to avoid cables and local data collection.’’

NEXT STEPS

As a consequence of the successful first testing phase, Hitachi Zosen Inova has decided to implement a second phase in order

to evaluate the deployment of the solution on a larger basis. In this phase, PE.WSNi will be integrated with Hitachi Zosen Inova’s data analysis tool, called Pamela: outcoming data will be used for an R&D project studying how to mitigate fouling in WTE boilers.

This time, the analysis will consider data from thermocouples, flow sensors, and pressure sensors, a more complex set of information to handle and a more challenging working environment.

“We are really satisfied with the excellent results of this implementation,” says Gianni Minetti, CEO at Paradox Engineering. “Hitachi Zosen Inova calculated that around 20,000 wired data points are needed to reliably monitor each waste-to-energy plant, estimating an investment of around $ 4,000 per point. Thirty per cent of these can be replaced with wireless data collection nodes, which is quite a substantial saving — and that’s thanks to the PE.WSNI solution.”

Guy Crittenden is editor of this magazine. Contact Guy at gcrittenden@hazmatmag.com

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OWMA REPORT

by Rob Cook “Too many governments fall into the trap of compromising policy to ensure a day’s worth of positive media.”

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B

y the time this article has been published, Ontarians will have elected a new provincial government. Although waste-related issues are unlikely to have a major impact on the overall electoral results, they are sure to be one of the most difficult files the new government will face. Over the years waste issues have been a major thorn in the side of government from the Interim Waste Management Authority to the threat of a US border closure to eco fees.

The problem with the waste file in politics is that it’s largely a zero sum game. No matter what you do you never come out smelling like roses — not much chance for a political “win.” With approximately 12.5 million tonnes or waste generated annually in the province and serious waste system challenges, the government cannot hide from making decisions. All this waste has to go somewhere despite the notion that nobody wants it in their backyard. It’s time that an integrated waste management system based on domestic infrastructure and domestic capacity was championed by the province.

Every government arrives with lofty of goals to increase diversion and reduce the amount of waste generated. The complexities of these issues, however, do not lend themselves to simple solutions (or solutions without consequences). As a result, governments tend to fall into three traps.

The first trap is the “do nothing and hope for the best approach,” which involves sharing stories of enlightened businesses that had an epiphany and voluntarily changed their wasteful ways. The “do nothing” approach has only led to ongoing crisis management, continued reliance on US waste disposal capacity and the reason we divert so little waste. Although recent waste diversion initiatives have led to some progress, Statistics Canada indicates that the industrial, commercial and institutional (IC&I) sector has a diversion rate of just 18 per cent diversion rate; the residential sector sits at about 42 per cent.

The second trap too many governments fall into is compromising policy to ensure a day’s worth of positive media. This one “good day” usually comes with months and years of problems. This was certainly the case with the Waste Diversion Act that made numerous compromises to producers and as a result has mired the government in ongoing

OWMA REPORT problems. One would be hard pressed to find any stakeholder who would not agree the Act needs revising.

Finally, governments too often want to control all the decisions made around waste management in an effort to protect the itself and control public backlash. Yet in doing so the government essentially takes ownership of the consequences of decisions it neither wants to make, nor has the expertise to make.

A new approach to waste diversion is needed — one that: assigns clear accountability to producers for waste diversion; sets rigorous standards and targets; clarifies roles and responsibilities; recognizes the inherent value of waste as a resource; and, maximizes the economic and environmental benefits of waste diversion. This will not be easy.

Huge economic interests are at stake for producers who want to minimize costs and risk. Retailers want prices to remain competitive and many are producers as well. Municipalities want to eliminate recycling program costs from the municipal tax base and industry-funded organizations want to ensure their longevity. Service providers have a financial interest in increased diversion and waste management in general. All these groups want to control system to ensure their interests are protected.

Hopefully, the premier will elevate the profile of the environment portfolio and choose a seasoned veteran as minister with the fortitude to guide change and make the necessary tough decisions. If difficult decisions are made early in the mandate, there will be far less chance of issues plaguing the government into the next election cycle.

Rob Cook is Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Waste Management Association in Brampton, Ontario. Contact Rob at rcook@owma.org

Metro Vancouver denied landfill certificate The BC government is not granting Metro Vancouver an environmental assessment (EA) certificate for its proposal to develop a landfill at its Ashcroft Ranch property near the community of Cache Creek. The timing of the EA decision, made by BC Environment Minister Terry Lake and Community, Sport and Cultural Development Minister Ida Chong, was contingent on approval of Metro Vancouver’s Integrated Solid Waste Resource Management Plan. The plan was approved by Lake in July 2011.

Lake and Chong based their decision to not grant an EA certificate on several factors. Firstly, the Integrated Solid Waste Resource Management Plan does not identify the need for a large new landfill in the BC Interior. Secondly, the ministers highlighted that, in 2008, the Metro Vancouver board resolved to move away from Interior landfills and focus its attention on waste reduction, composting and other waste disposal options.

Finally, the ministers noted that Metro Vancouver’s plans were based on the assumption that the Cache Creek Landfill, which has operated since 1989, would close in 2008. The Cache Creek Landfill received an EA certificate in January 2010, which enables it to operate for an additional 25 years.

Metro Vancouver could submit a new proposal for a future landfill at its Ashcroft Ranch property, should it wish to do so. Metro Vancouver originally applied for an EA certificate in 2004.

This news item first appeared in EcoLog News (9/23/11). To learn how to subscribe, visit www.ecolog.com

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O R G A N I C M AT T E R S

by Paul van der Werf “We should see many new municipally owned AD facilities being implemented in Quebec over the next few years.”

Le Bon Plan Quebec’s organic waste diversion plan

T

he Province of Quebec has been staking out its environmental vision as it relates to waste management for a number of years.

The Quebec Residual Materials Management Policy, 1998-2008 envisioned what they call a 4 R-D (reduce, re-use, recycle, recover and dispose) hierarchy. For organic waste a 60 per cent recovery rate was set. The government has recently taken a number of steps to help achieve this diversion level for organic wastes.

Currently, an estimated 40 facilities in Quebec compost organic wastes (not including on-farm sites managing manure). This is being updated and a revised number will be released later this year. The cur-

rent processing capacity is unclear although StatsCan reported that in 2008 about 384,000 tonnes of organic waste was diverted.

This has likely decreased since that time. Described by one Quebec industry observer as an “odour tornado”, a number of larger composting facilities have closed in the last five years due to operational issues. This appears to have largely been a function of some larger Quebec firms accepting more organic wastes (including considerable amounts from Ontario) than their facilities could handle appropriately. Today, most facilities are open windrow although some tunnel composting facilities manager manures.

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O R G A N I C M AT T E R S

The 60 per cent organic waste recovery rate has not been met and there have been challenges.

Sophie Taillefer is an Industrial Development Agent, with RecycQuébec, and has considerable ongoing involvement with the organics processing in the province.

When asked about the key lessons for organic waste processing learned in the last five years she states, “It’s important not to underestimate the effort and energy that needs to be invested for social acceptability. This requires a good communication plan before implementation and follow-up during the process.”

The amount of processing capacity is set to increase considerably and likely in the direction of anaerobic digestion. Local industry players have debated the most appropriate technology: composting or anaerobic digestion. Anaerobic digestion has apparently developed some momentum.

In the last few years the Province has released some new documents that govern and/or inform the management of organic and other wastes in Québec.

The Quebec Residual Materials Management Policy re-released in 2011 updates the previous version and envisions the future of waste management in general. There are clear thrusts to reduce the amount of waste

CONSULTING ENGINEERS & SCIENTISTS

sent to landfill, achieve climate change goals and implement extended producer responsibility (EPR). For instance by 2015 the province wants to reduce the amount of waste sent for disposal from the current 810 kg/ capita to 700 kg/capita, in part from processing 60 per cent of organic wastes.

Currently about 12 per cent of municipal food and leaf-and-yard waste is diverted with the remainder mostly landfilled. About 31 per cent of municipal biosolids and 26 per cent of paper mill biosolids are currently landfilled.

What is most interesting is where they want to take this. The post2015 plans include banning organic waste from landfill, especially to reduce GHG impacts from waste. This would start with cardboard, paper and wood for which diversion programs are well established, then be expanded to food waste, leaf-and-yard wastes and biosolids by 2020.

Two documents guide the processing of more organic waste.

The current 2008 composting guidelines (Lignes Directrices Pour L’Encadrement Des Activities De Compostage) are under review and will include new information on water treatment and small (<50m3) invessel composting facilities.

The stage has clearly been set for more development of anaerobic digestion facilities. In 2011 the government released new anaerobic

Water & Waste Professionals Join RWDI

Gunther Funk, B.Sc., P.Geo. Project Director Gunther.Funk@rwdi.com Gunther oversees RWDI’s newly formed Geosciences Group. He has acquired almost 40 years of diversified experience in groundwater resources assessment and development and contaminant hydrogeology.

Peter Klaassen, MBA, P.Eng. Senior Consultant Peter.Klaassen@rwdi.com Peter is a recognized specialist in the waste management industry, with over 23 years of experience.

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w w w . r w d i . c o m 32 www.solidwastemag.com October/November 2011

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O R G A N I C M AT T E R S

digestion guidelines (Lignes Directrices Pour L’Encadrement Des Activities des Biomethanisation). These are very similar to the composting guidelines in terms of requirements for setback distances, noise and odour generation. The guideline includes separate sections in terms of dealing with digestate and biogas.

The province has set up a funding program to (in their words) “… foster the recycling of putrescible organic materials.”

The Financial Program for Biomethanization (anaerobic digestion) and Composting of organics (Programme de Traitment de Matières Organiques par Biométhanisation et Compostage (2008-2012) is a $250 million provincial government funding program to stimulate the processing of organic wastes. The program is open to both public and private facilities, although it favours public facilities. For public facilities the program will fund up to two-thirds of the cost of AD facilities and fifty per cent of composting facilities. For private sector facilities the program will fund 25 per cent of AD facilities and 20 per cent of composting facilities. Given the funding disparity between public and OWMA AD 6/5/07 7:33 AM Page 1 private sectors, it’s clear the province hopes to stimulate public-private partnerships (PPP) and indeed this is what’s happening. The funding

supplied by the province will also be in some instances be leveraged with federal money.

“We should see many new municipally owned AD facilities being implemented in Quebec over the next few years,” Taillefer points out, “since the amount allocated for AD technology is greater than for composting. The percentage is higher for AD than composting because it offers a greater potential for GHG reduction related to fossil fuel substitution which is mandatory in the program.”

It has taken time to get the program off the ground; Applications have been received and there have been announcements but no formal funding yet. (For instance, in the Montreal region there have been four announcements concerning five to six new facilities.)

“Ultimately a key driver for all of these initiatives is promoting the achievement of the goals of the Climate Change Action Plan and of the Quebec Energy Strategy,” says Taillefer.

This is a bold and ambitious move. Funding is something that the organics industry has sought, since organics comprise 40 per cent of the waste stream. Diverting them is essential to achieving high waste diversion numbers and reducing greenhouse gas impacts.

Paul van der Werf is president of 2cg Inc. in London, Ontario. Contact Paul at www.2cg.ca

Ontario Waste Management Association

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If you own or manage a private sector waste management company involved in any facet of solid or hazardous waste management – let us stand up for you …join OWMA today!

OWMA has a primary mission to support a strong and viable waste service industry and to ensure that OWMA member companies are recognized as industry leaders.

Contact: Michele Goulding (905) 791-9500 www.owma.org October/November 2011 www.solidwastemag.com 33

WA S T E B U S I N E S S

by John Nicholson, M.Sc., P.Eng. “I wondered why we couldn’t make the experience of visiting a recycling depot better?”

Depot The evolution of recycling depots

T

he other day I went to my local waste and pate in recycling programs because they’re recycling depot. I made sure to go early on “not sure what is recyclable,” feel a sense of Sunday to beat the crowds. The trip was “confusion or lack of information,” and are relatively painless. The depot was well organ- “not sure it makes a difference.” A Gallop ized and things flowed logically. poll taken the same year found that many The experience exceeded my expectations. Canadians want to conserve more, recycle Why, you ask? Past visits to the recycling depot more, and waste less, but don’t always know resulted in a long wait, confusing signage, re- what they’re supposed to do. jection of some of my items, and unreasonable The permanent waste and recycling depots costs. I can’t say with certainty that the major- in many municipalities across Canada are cerity of people who go to the waste recycling and tainly an improvement over the semi-annual depot have the same anxiety as me, but it may events that used to be prevalent. I can recall be the case. giving up at one such recycling day event A Harris poll taken back in 2007 found when the line of cars stretched several blocks.

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Sweden

When I was in Sweden last May on a waste management tour for journalists, I was very impressed by the waste and recycling depot set up in the City of Stockholm. The place very much reminded me of going to an IKEA store. It was painted blue and yellow, was very well organized, and had excellent signage.

The other thing that struck me about the Stockholm recycling depot was the vast array of waste and recycling streams that were

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WA S T E B U S I N E S S accepted. For example, there was a bin for incandescent light bulbs and one for fluorescent ones. In all, there were over 12 different places for various wastes and recyclables.

Lingering at the recycling depot with fellow journalists I wondered why we couldn’t focus more on taking measures to make the experience of visiting a recycling depot better. From the design of the structure (does every recycling depot need to look so utilitarian?), to signage, to layout. There are many ideas could make a visit to the recycling depot more pleasant.

As waste management professionals, the mindset in the design and layout of a recycling depot should begin with the end user in mind. The design and layout of the Stockholm recycling facility was based on answering the question, “How can we make this experience pleasant for the user?”

The lesson from Stockholm recycling depot is that we in the waste management industry in Canada need to have a consideration of our customers. Customers are important and their experience at waste and recycling depots should be pleasant.

The future of depots

With the developed world focused on diversion from landfill, the role of recycling depots in the overall waste management scheme can only grow. The challenge will be balancing the number of waste streams with the time and effort necessary to drop off the material.

Besides exclusive recycling depots, there’s an evolution toward utilizing commercial establishments as drop-off points.

Local hardware and building stores have begun to accept old paint, solvents, and other household hazardous waste; electronics stores accept used batteries, and auto centres accept used oil.

The utilization of these commercial establishments is likely to grow as progressive companies see the value in being a one-stop shop for specialized waste drop off and new merchandise. Nova Scotia is an example of a province that has done a very good job utilizing commercial establishments. It also has a web page that allows residents to find the nearest drop off for recyclable containers and used paint (www.rrfb.com/envirodepot-locator.asp)

Potential Recyclables at the Depot • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Painted and unpainted wood Ferrous and non-ferrous metals Fluorescent light bulbs Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Refrigerators, air conditioners and other CFC-containing goods Scrap tires Electronics and electrical waste Plastics Organics Leaf-and-yard waste Used oil Cardboard Paper (fine and newsprint) Drywall and renovation wastes (bricks, concrete) Used paint

incorporating Google Maps.

The advantage to commercial establishments in accepting recyclable material is the added foot traffic through the store. The advantage for the customer is the convenience.

John Nicholson, M.Sc., 6/11/07 P.Eng., is a consultant in Toronto, Ontario. Contact John at john.nicholson@ebccanada.com (The author would like Walinga VC2336 2:36 PM based Page 1 to thank Zahra Majlesi for her research assistance in the preparation of this article.)

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October/November 2011 www.solidwastemag.com 35

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

by Rosalind Cooper “Quebec has approved a schedule of contributions developed by Eco Entreprises Quebec for containers and packaging.”

Waste Initiatives across Canada BC organics recycling reg

British Columbia’s environment ministry has proposed amendments to the Organic Matter Recycling Regulation made under the Environmental Management Act and the Public Health Act. The regulation was enacted in 2002 and addresses the construction and operation of composting facilities and the production, distribution, storage, sale, and use or land application of biosolids and compost. The proposed revisions are intended to reflect advances in science and technology, and feedback from stakeholders since the regulation was enacted. (For more on biosolids, turn to the Blog column on the inside back page of this edition.)

The ministry plans to replace the requirement for preparation of an environmental impact study with a requirement to prepare a leachate impact assessment report. All composting facilities will be required to prepare such a report if discharging leachate. (Currently, only those facilities with a certain production tonnage are required to prepare an environmental impact study.)

The ministry also intends to prohibit the discharge of leachate in all areas of the province unless the discharge is in accordance with the leachate impact assessment prepared by a qualified professional. In addition, an impermeable surface, roof, cover, prepared surface and leachate collection system will be required unless deemed unnecessary by a qualified

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

professional. The leachate impact assessment report must be submitted to the director at least 90 days prior to the discharge of any leachate.

The ministry also proposes to require all existing facilities to prepare plans and specifications by January 1, 2013 (and that plans required of composting facilities be prepared by qualified professionals). The odour management plan required of composting facilities must describe how air contaminants from the facility will be managed, treated and discharged in a manner that does not cause pollution. The operating plan for a composting facility must address the management and control of wildlife, litter, air quality and dust. In addition, a land application plan must be prepared when the volume of managed organic matter to be land applied is greater than five cubic metres in a year. The land application plan must provide details on all discharges expected for that year.

The ministry intends to require any materials, products or substances at the composting facility (including organic matter, managed organic matter, compost, municipal solid waste, residuals and waste) be managed and stored in a manner that prevents access by and attraction of wildlife, domestic animals, birds and associated vectors. The plan, reports and specifications required of composting facilities must be kept up to date, and the ministry must be notified of any change within 30 days of any change.

Quebec residuals landfilling

Quebecâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regulation respecting the landfilling and incineration of residual materials under the Environment Quality Act has been amended to permit fibrous waste from sawmills, fibrous waste of the same nature as fibrous waste from sawmills that originates from oriented strandboard manufacturing plants, and certain ash, soils or sludge from specified establishments to be landfilled. Another amendment made to the regulation prohibits the burning of residual materials in an engineered landfill. Also, a new provision has been added to the regulation that provides that the operator of the landfill must confirm the acceptance of certain soil materials.

SO reduces auto plastics incentive

Stewardship Ontario (SO) has decided to reduce the transportation incentive for automotive-related plastics. In April of 2010, collection shortages of auto-related plastics, including oil containers and antifreeze containers, caused the organization to increase transportation and processing incentives. The increase was approximately 30 per cent and was part of an effort to collect more plastic for diversion. This action resulted in an increase in the collection of auto-related plastics during the past year. As a result, SO has reduced the transportation incentive by 15 per cent.

Quebec containers and packaging schedule

Quebec has approved a schedule of contributions developed by Eco Entreprises Quebec for containers and packaging, and printed matter classes. Quebecâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regulation respecting compensation for municipal services provided to recover and reclaim residual materials has been amended to incorporate the approved schedule. The schedule designates classes of material requiring a contribution, and sets out the applicable contribution. It also provides for registration and reporting by those required to remit.

The regulation is enacted under the Environment Quality Act that includes provisions with respect to financial compensation to municipalities (for services they offer to ensure recovery and reclamation of residual materials designated by regulation). Eco Entreprises Quebec is the certified body that represents the companies that market containers and packaging and printed matter classes of materials, and collects money from these companies to be remitted to municipalities. Companies designated as owners of a brand, name or a distinguishing guise are required to pay a contribution. If the owner of the brand, name or distinguishing guise does not have a domicile or establishment in Quebec, then the first supplier in Quebec may be required to pay the contribution.

Rosalind Cooper, LL.B., is a partner with Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP in Toronto, Ontario. Contact Rosalind at rcooper@tor.fasken.com

38 www.solidwastemag.com October/November 2011

NEWS

BC gets “Unplugged”

On October 1, 2011, British Columbians were able to begin recycling their used or broken small appliances at over 100 convenient drop-off locations through a new and unique program called Unplugged, the Small Appliance Recycling Program. Unplugged will divert approximately two million small appliances previously destined for the landfill.

Introduced by the Canadian Electrical Stewardship Association (CESA), Unplugged is the first small appliance recycling program of its kind in Canada and the only government-approved small appliance recycling program in BC. The program will accept more than 120 small appliance types for recycling, ranging from toasters and electric toothbrushes to countertop microwaves and vacuum cleaners.

After an appliance is brought to a drop-off location, it’s transported to processors in Western Canada and separated into different materials which are then recycled. Metals will be smelted down and recycled into other metal products, while plastics and glass will be sorted and sold or reused in various manufacturing processes. CESA has partnered with B.C.-based Product Care Association (PCA) to set up and operate Unplugged throughout the province.

“We are happy to have the support of a wide number of retailers, municipalities, and manufacturers who see the importance of the Unplugged program,” says Mark Kurschner, president of PCA. Unplugged will be fully funded by a recycling fee applied to new products brought into the province.

For a full list of retailers and other CESA members participating in the program, please visit www.cesarecycling.ca

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NEWS PULLEY Plastic to fuel technology deal

SUSPENSION

On July 29, 2011, Thorold, Ontario-based JBI, Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement with Rock-Tenn Company (NYSE: RKT) to convert mill byproduct waste into fuel using JBI’s Plastic2Oil™ technology. Under the agreement, JBI has an exclusive ten-year license with a renewal option to build and operate Plastic2Oil processors at RockTenn facilities to process RockTenn’s waste plastic at paper mills and material recovery facilities (MRFs) and to mine and process plastic from RockTenn’s plastic-filled monofill sites.

RockTenn’s paper mills and MRFs currently produce thousands of tonnes of plastic per day. To handle this waste stream, RockTenn has been storing this byproduct in company-owned plastic-only monofill sites for several years. The agreement gives JBI the exclusive rights to mine plastic from these sites.

JBI’s Founder & CEO John Bordynuik said, “RockTenn currently has sites that can support clusters of processors. In preparation for this agreement, we have designed our processors to be modular ‘plug and play’ to allow rapid deployment across RockTenn’s locations.”

BC E-waste plan

EDDY CURRENT

Abbott Canada has submitted a draft stewardship plan for electronic and electrical medical devices and equipment in the Province of British Columbia. This plan anticipates a launch date of July 1, 2012 and proposes actions and targets for five years (2012-2016) in accordance with the requirements of the BC Recycling Regulation. The public consultation period for the plan closed September 30, 2011. The stewardship plan is available at www.abbott.ca

Criminal charges for e-waste exporter

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In September 2011 after 30 months of investigations, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and EPA Criminal Investigation Division handed down multiple criminal charges against two executives of Executive Recycling Inc., a Denver, Colorado electronics recycling firm. The government first became aware of the alleged violations following an investigation by the Basel Action Network (BAN), a Seattle-based organization dedicated to combating toxic trade. The investigation became highly publicized after BAN worked with CBS’s 60 Minutes news magazine in an episode entitled “The Wasteland.” It is the first instance that criminal charges have been brought against an e-waste exporter in the United States.

In 2007 and 2008, BAN volunteers photographed 21 sea-going containers at Executive Recycling’s loading docks that they subsequently tracked across the world, with most ending up in China. BAN then alerted the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and 60 Minutes, and together the groups documented US businesses posing as responsible electronics recyclers but who instead were simply shipping e-waste to developing countries where it was processed in toxic, highly polluting operations. The resulting 60 Minutes episode has since become one of the most popular and award winning in the program’s history.

According to the federal grand jury indictment, Executive Recycling was responsible for at least 300 exports, including shipments of more than 100,000 toxic cathode ray tubes that netted the company $1.8 million. Executive’s CEO Brandon Richter, together with Tor Olson, Vice President of Operations, were indicted on 16 separate counts including wire and mail fraud, environmental crimes, exportation contrary to law, and destruction, alteration, or falsification of records.

For a copy of the indictment, visit www.ban.org/Library/Executive_ Indictment.pdf To view CBS’s 60 Minutes Episode, The Wasteland, visit http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5274959n

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NEWS Composting Council annual conference

The 21st annual National Compost Conference proved to be another success, bringing together organics recycling and compost advocates from coast-to-coast-and-beyond to the wonderful province of Prince Edward Island. To experience the full potential that compost has been able to realize to-date, the Compost Council of Canada’s conference started with tours in Halifax, visits to the compost trials at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College and Jost Vineyards where compost is used.

Added to this were PEI visits to the ADI International (PEI) Compost Facility in Brookfield, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada’s Crops & Livestock Research Station in Harrington and the Oyster Bed Compost Facility, a 300 cattle feedlot, organic farm in Oyster Bed Bridge. Two additional days filled with program updates, research findings and the all-important networking enabled the compost industry to focus on their accomplishments to-date and work for the future.

Conference proceedings may be available through contacting The Compost Council of Canada at 1-877-571-GROW(4769). Further information about other upcoming events spearheaded by the council may be found by visiting www.compost.org

First stop on the compost tour schedule was at New Era Farms just outside of Halifax where, along with Miller Compost, the source-separated organics from the residents of the Halifax Regional Municipality are processed.

Derek Lynch (right) and Gordon Price (left) host the compost visitors at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College compost trials facility, discussing both processing research and growth studies.

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42 www.solidwastemag.com October/November 2011

Inc.

Waste Management Consulting Services

Two compost teams entered the annual Charity Grape Stomp at Jost Vineyards, proudly getting their feet wet as they stomped away to earn funds for Plant a Row — Grow a Row, the nation-wide veggie-gardening & sharing program. The teams represented composters across the country, showing their competitive and coordinated spirit.

First photo (from left to right): Allan Yee, City of Edmonton; Peter Veiga, Region of Durham; Rick Jozwiak, City of Calgary; Louise Henault-Ethier, Equiterre.

Second photo (from left to right): Karen Warren, Manitoba Conservation; Ron Mills, Exhibition Place; Doug Hill, Eco-Safe Zero Waste; Danielle Buklis, Compost Council of Canada

PRODUCTS

Smartphone App for waste program outreach

One of the toughest jobs for municipal solid waste managers is maintaining the continuous promotion and education outreach effort needed to keep residents motivated to reduce, reuse and recycle more, says Creighton Hooper, an expert in developing and delivering direct mail educational material specifically for the municipal solid waste community.

Hooper, CEO of Municipal Media Inc. and RecyclingCalendars.com, says the job of communicating with residents has gotten tougher for many municipalities in the last few years as staff cutbacks and budget slashing have constrained their ability to produce and distribute all-essential educational and motivational materials. Connecting with residents on a continuous basis is a well-known best practice of effective residential waste diversion and resource recovery programs.

That problem got him thinking about how RecyclingCalendars.com could help.

“As soon as I saw the explosive growth in smartphone and tablet use in the last few years, not only in the US and Canada, but around the world, I knew there was a way to harness that emerging technology to make it work for municipal communication,” Hooper says.

He set to work creating my-waste, an app for smartphones and tablets that runs on iPhone, iPad, android and blackberry systems. When residents download it for free, they get all of their municipal solid waste

program information at their fingertips, including the list of what’s accepted in their municipal recycling program and tips on how to reduce and reuse.

“We developed my-waste so each municipality can have its own version of the app, unique to their program and with all of their information loaded in. Not only is there a calendar showing ongoing collection schedules for recycling and garbage, but also for special event days for household hazardous waste, electronics, tires and more,” Hooper says.

“But the best part is that my-waste is intelligently designed so residents can set up reminder alerts on their smartphones and tablets so they’ll never forget another special collection day or change in schedule. That can mean municipalities will see increases in their resource recovery rates,” he adds.

Hooper says that by investing in the development of the app and making customizable versions available, municipalities can license their own version very cost-effectively, rather than having to invest large sums of money in developing, maintaining and improving their own app software.

“We’ve structured my-waste so that the annual cost to municipalities is substantially less than producing and distributing a brochure. my-waste is the answer for municipalities with shrinking budgets and time. It works out to a few pennies to fractions of a cent per house-

Project1

11/13/06

10:28 AM

hold depending on the size of the municipality and best yet, residents download it for free.”

Annual licensing fees vary according to the size of the municipality. For example, the annual fee for municipalities with populations of 25,000 or less is $1,900; municipalities over 250,000 pay $3,200 a year.

Hooper says that RecyclingCalendars. com will charge a one-time start-up fee and for that, they’ll do the work getting information from municipal websites and other documents and load it into the municipality’s version of the app, so municipalities don’t have to worry about finding the time. After that, RecyclingCalendars.com will update program information at the annual renewal and on two separate occasions throughout the year at no additional cost.

“Once municipalities license the app, we can get it ready and go live in just four to six weeks,” he adds.

Part of the agreement includes providing draft copy for a news release and a website page to help promote the app to residents, plus a unique Quick Response (QR) code that can be placed on municipal materials and that will take smartphone users directly to the download page. Additional promotional materials such as a print ad or a poster are available at below-market value for graphic services.

A version of my-waste is available for viewing at www.recyclingcalendars.com

Page 1

October/November 2011 www.solidwastemag.com 43

PRODUCTS

Al-jon landfill compactor

Al-jon Manufacturing, LLC, a manufacturer of products for the solid waste and scrap metal industries, recently unveiled its new 127,500-pound landfill compactor, the LC9604. This new model replaces the Advantage 600, the flagship of the Al-jon compactor line.

The new LC960-4, Al-jon’s latest entry in the landfill compaction equipment market, is

the industry’s largest machine. It offers customers excellent production and uptime, better landfill compaction, lower fuel consumption, lower maintenance costs, more precise oper-

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This heavyweight new model uses a Tier IV power system designed with an environmentally-friendly engine that meets or exceeds federal guidelines for industrial engine emissions.

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44 www.solidwastemag.com October/November 2011

Biomass shredders

The West Salem Machinery (WSM) Biomass Super Shredders™ combine the efficiency of a high-speed mill with the durability of a heavyduty grinder. Available with rotor widths from 60 to 88 inches (1524 mm x 2235 mm), these machines deliver higher tip speed for smaller, consistent fibre sizing; increased screen area for more thru-put; and flexible/interchangeable tooling.

The largest WSM Biomass Super Shredder — the massive Model 4888S — features a 48 dia. by 88 inch (1219 mm x 2235 mm) long rotor, and operates with 400-800 hp to convert high volumes of pre-processed biomass materials. The Super Shredders has superior production rates of up to 100 tph, eliminating the need for multiple machines. The shredders include AR interior wear liners, modular sizing screens, dual pivoting hydraulic housing, and reversible/replaceable hammer tips for reduced maintenance and operating costs.

Visit www.westsalem.com

EC updates EPR inventory

Environment Canada has updated its Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Product Stewardship Inventory of Programs. The online inventory provides the public with information on existing EPR and product stewardship programs in Canada.

It contains information on, among other things: what products are included in the programs; how products are being collected and how to locate drop-off locations; targets and performance of programs; applicability of fees; and, policies, monitoring and reporting.

Visit www.ec.gc.ca

Advertisersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Index Company

Page #

October/November 2011

Company

Page #

AET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Molok . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

AMRC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Municipal Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Bandag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

MultiSweep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Battery Broker Environmental Services Inc. The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Norseman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

BLG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

OWMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Borden Ladner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Paradigm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Bulk Handling Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Paul Van der Werf (2CG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Chevy Lane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

RBRC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Curroto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Rehrig Pacific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Covanta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

RWDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Emterra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 21

Samuel Strapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Environmental Business Consultants (J. Nicholson) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Schuyler Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Eriez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Serious Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Geoware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Stellar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Golder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Trux Route Management Systems Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Italian Trade Commission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Van Dyk Baler Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Laurin Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Vulcan Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Liebherr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Walinga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Miller Thomson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Walker Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24, 40

Mack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Waste Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Mobile Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

WasteQuip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

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www.seriouslock.com October/November 2011 www.solidwastemag.com 45

BLOG

by Maureen Reilly “All food grown or grazed on sludged fields should require special labeling.”

From Toilet to Table

D

o Canadians want sewer and septic waste to fertilize their food lands?

The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) launched a very quiet public consultation on the use of sewage sludge “biosolids” this summer.

At issue is the management of sewage sludge and septic tank pump out. The CCME Biosolids Task Group has prepared a 13-page policy statement that proposes that municipal, industrial and domestic wastewater sludges should be rebranded “biosolids” and that the use of such materials as fertilizer should be promoted as “Beneficial Use.” Normally when the CCME tackles a pollutant we see a discussion of standards, harmonized enforcement and pollutant reduction targets.

Not in this case.

The CCME seeks a mandate to declare all agricultural or horticultural endpoints for sludge biosolids as “beneficial”, safe, and preferable to other management endpoints. There is no discussion of what level of pathogens, toxic compounds or pharmaceuticals are acceptable. The policy proposal simply declares that all agricultural use of sludge is “safe.”

This goes to the heart of the folly of this proposed public relations initiative.

There is some mention of using sewage sludge biosolids for renewable energy. However, CCME policy discussion documents suggest further review would be needed to assess greenhouse gas impacts. No corresponding caution is advocated for sludge biosolids on farms.

The people who put this together are the provincial waste management policy officials in charge of municipal wastewater sludges in each province. They clearly believe that renaming sludge “beneficial biosolids” will help provide public acceptance of this cheap waste management strategy. They seek to cast the use of these sewered wastes as a “green recycling” program, rather than as a transfer of toxins from big cities to rural agricultural communities.

Policy counterparts in the solid waste arena have taken a completely different approach. They advocate source-separating wastes so that distinct materials — like cans, cardboard and plastics — are separated at source for recycling. They don’t advocate that all the urban solid waste be diverted to field or forest in an unsorted, undifferentiated mass.

Since sewered waste is really the liquid counterpart of solid waste (with inputs from industries, slaughterhouses, hospitals, laboratories, landfill leachate collection, mortuaries, as well as residences) it’s a mirror for all the mixtures of toxins that were ever in production in our civilization, including substances no longer permitted to be manufactured or used.

To deliberately place such contaminants on our farms as a “preferred practice” seems shockingly shortsighted.

46 www.solidwastemag.com October/November 2011

Why should waste managers set policies that will promote toilet toxin-to-table practices? Momentum is now for a Canadian locavore “eat healthy eat local” approach. Our food, water, and health guardians should have the policy lead in what is sustainable for our food lands, not municipal waste administrators.

If policymakers really want to poll the Canadian appetite for food grown on sludge then all food grown or grazed on sludged fields should require special labeling. Just such a proposal is set forth by Jose Serrano in New Jersey. Titled the Sewage Sludge in Food Production Consumer Notification Act, the proposal would consider food to be adulterated when produced on land to which sewage sludge has been applied (or when it’s derived from poultry or livestock raised on or fed with feed produced on such land).

We already know the public is concerned about toxic food production practices, since more and more people want to eat food that is certified organic... food they know is not fertilized with sludge.

Restricting the use of sewered and tankered wastes on farmland would have many positive benefits. It would protect rural drinking wells and surface waters from pollutants leached from sludged farm fields and protect food from the build up of toxic metals, pharmaceutical compounds, and endocrine disruptors. It would promote our food exports to international markets. Sludge farms make better tourist destinations. Sludge free food will reduce the body burden of toxins and protect against the spread of antibiotic resistant pathogens from sewage treatment plants. Sludge free communities are better protected from the spread of contagious diseases like MRSA, SARS, norovirus, and pathogenic E.coli infections.

Protecting our farm communities from these municipal biowastes is the truly “beneficial” strategy; consistent with a precautionary approach, it lowers the risk of soil and water contamination to both the rural resident and food consumer. The CCME needs to take a more comprehensive look at municipal sewer waste and develop more comprehensive and sustainable management policies.

What can you do? Write to Laura Manson at the CCME at lmanson@ ccme.ca to request the consultation documents (already pulled from the web). Contact your provincial Ministers of the Environment, Health, and Agriculture and tell them you don’t want your food grown on sludge.

Remember: You are what you eat.

NOTE: The CCME Biosolids Consultation documents round one can be downloaded from www.cen-rce.org/ebulletin/documents/ Biosolids%20Task%20Group%20Consultation.pdf Maureen Reilly does research and public education on waste and wastewater issues in Toronto, Ontario. To subscribe to the Sludgewatch Listerserve go to: http://list.web.net/lists/listinfo/sludgewatch-l or contact Maureen at maureen.reilly@sympatico.ca

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