Solid Waste & Recycling February/March 2015

February/March 2015

Cover Story: Waging War on Landfill Fires – page 8

www.solidwastemag.com

CPMP No. 40069240

An EcoLog Group Publication

FILL ‘ER UP

Pull-Outs on natural gas & biofuels — pages 17 & 29

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February/March 2015

Volume 20, Number 1

CONTENTS

Solid Waste & Recycling

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

COVER STORY

8

SLOW BURN Waging battle against landfill fires

by David Nesseth

s Jaffe

by Charle

FEATURES TOP 10 TIPS FOR RECYCLING & COMPOSTING Blue bins and green bins are not the answer ... planning is

by Bruce Buchan

Cover art

14

HARD TO DIGEST A look at food contamination

by Christine McKiernan

35

TIRES + SEAFOOD = PAVEMENT

DEPARTMENTS

A unique recycling process

by Chris Murray

38

RAISING THE W2E PROFILE

Editorial Childhood Unearthed . . . . . . 4 Waste Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Canadians supporting growth

by John Foden

41

Product Profile: The Greenlid . . . . . . . 28 Canadian Regulatory News . . . . . . . 42

FERTILIZING THE PRAIRIES

Ad Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Saskatchewan’s new biosolids plant

by Kevin Litwiller

43

SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTIONS: NATURAL GAS UPDATE 17 BIOFUEL REPORTS

29

14

38

EPR in Ontario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

43

NEXT EDITION:

April/May 2015 Bonus distribution: Waste Expo Las Vegas.

Editorial: Balers, Shredders, Conveyors and Sorting Equipment Value added theme • Recycling MRF equipment • Baler selection Space closing: March 20, 2015. Artwork required: March 26, 2015.

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EDITORIAL

by David Nesseth “Consultants conducted a landfill gas investigation of the trench where the Atari cartridges were thought to be buried.”

Canadian childhood unearthed Millions of video games buried in the desert

S

ometime around Grade one, I’d often find myself plopped down on the carpet in front of a TV screen in the den. My new Atari 2600 video game console filled the room with little digital beeps and boops. One of those beeps was supposed to mimic the sounds of the character E.T., the star of my newest video game E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, based on the blockbuster 1982 film of the same name.

“Ellliioottt!” he’d croaked in the Speilberg film, with his sad, huge eyes searching for help. As a player of this new game, I knew how he felt. I needed help too. The gameplay was far from intuitive, and frankly, didn’t make much sense. It was a mystery I tried to solve, but it didn’t take too many more attempts at this game before it could be found collecting dust on the shelf.

Little did I know at the time that hundreds of thousands of other kids felt the same way. The game became something of an urban legend in my youth, and was eventually labelled with the epic status — by many in the industry — as being the worst video game ever made. Some 3.5 million copies of the plastic cartridge — about the size of a tiny jewelry box — became unsold inventory that was a giant embarrassing pile for Atari.

What I didn’t know in Grade one was how Atari dealt with this massive commercial flop, and its massive pile of games that nobody cared about. By 1983, Atari arranged for some 20 truckloads of the E.T. game to be buried at the Old Alamogordo Landfill in New Mexico, not far, actually, from where the first atomic bomb tests occurred.

It’s all so strange to me now, this E.T. stuff, as I find myself here, releasing my first edition as editor of a waste management publication. It

feels as though I have come full-circle in some way, my past connecting to my present. Always been a sucker for symbolism.

Not too long ago, in spring 2014, Canadian entertainment company Fuel Industries helped unearth part of my gaming childhood at the Old Alamogordo Landfill. The company was filming the event for a documentary called Atari: Game Over. On the day of the dig, people came out in droves to watch the excavation process, hoping to find out if the old THE OLD urban myth was real: that those old game ALAMOGORDO cartridges were actually buried there.

LANDFILL They were. But only about 1,300 The full landfill property area game cartridges were found, many beis approximately 300 acres. lieving that most of the games were burThis landfill was closed in ied far deeper.

1989 with no further activity Prior to the dig, on Mar. 11, 2014, after that date. consultants conducted a landfill gas investigation of the trench where the Atari cartridges were thought to be buried, to ensure safety.

Later, Alamogordo officials held an online auction for the old video games. Believe it or not, it raised some $37,000 for the city’s coffers.

One Canadian buyer actually paid $1,537 for an unboxed version of an E.T. game recovered from the dig. For fun, I like to pretend it was bought by Grade one me.

David Nesseth is the editor of Solid Waste & Recycling. Contact David at dnesseth@solidwastemag.com

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Solid Waste & Recycling

WA S T E WAT C H

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

David Nesseth Editor dnesseth@solidwastemag.com Brad O’Brien Publisher bobrien@solidwastemag.com Dave Douglas

Account Manager ddouglas@bizinfogroup.ca

Sheila Wilson

Art Director

Kimberly Collins Anita Madden

Market Production Circulation Manager

Alex Papanou President Annex Newcom LP Award-winning magazine

Solid Waste & Recycling magazine is published six times a year by EcoLog Information Resources Group, a divi­sion of Annex Newcom LP, a leading Canadian business-to-business information services company that also publishes HazMat Management 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.

Ontario stewardship decisions

Waste Diversion Ontario (WDO) has issued decisions on two pending Industry Stewardship Plans (ISPs): no to batteries, and yes to paint.

Single-use batteries will continue to be managed by Stewardship Ontario and the MHSW Program (Municipal Hazardous or Special Waste) known as Orange Drop.

In Canada, Product Care already provides programs for paint recycling in B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick and P.E.I. *Read More on Pg. 42

MMBC outfits Winter Games

Subscription Rates: Canada: $53.95 (add applicable taxes) per year, $87.95 (add applicable taxes) for 2 years, single copy $10.00. USA: 1 Year $56.95, single copy $10.00. Foreign: 1 Year $87.95, single copy $10.00.

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 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto ON M3B 2S9 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: amadden@bizinfogroup.ca Mail to: Privacy Officer

Business Information Group

80 Valleybrook Drive

Toronto, ON M3B 2S9 We acknowledge the financial support of the Govern­ ment of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the De­part­ment of Canadian Heritage. © 2015 All rights reserved. No part of this pub­li­ca­tion may be reproduced without prior con­­sent.

Print edition: ISSN-1483-7714

Online edition: ISSN-1923-3388

Emily Harrison, sustainability manager with the 2015 Canada Winter Games; Allen Langdon, managing director of Multi-Material BC; Lyn Hall, Mayor, City of Prince George; Brooklyn Pollard, Grade 7 student; and Mike Davis, director of marketing & communications with the 2015 Canada Winter Games.

Multi-Material British Columbia (MMBC) has been named as an official supplier of the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George, B.C. For the 2015 Games, running from Feb. 13 – Mar. 1, MMBC will provide 550 recycling receptacles for the venues at the Games for a comprehensive recycling program.

Once the 2015 Canada Games is complete, the receptacles will be gifted to Emterra Environmental, so MMBC can institute recycling for approximately 4,300 units in multi-family buildings in Prince George.

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

For more information, visit www.fsc.org

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WA S T E WAT C H

Clean Harbors Love Canal

Clean Harbors has reversed its decision to send toxic waste from New York state’s Love Canal Superfund Site to a waste processing plant in Ontario, where some 100 truckloads of waste were set to be buried.

Massachusetts-based Clean Harbors says it has decided to use its U.S.-based network to dispose of the waste, which became somewhat infamous due to the fact that Love Canal contains some 21,000 tonnes of toxic waste dumped by a chemical company in the mid-1900s.

Plasco credit protection

Following years of struggles to finance its Ottawa-based waste-toenergy facility, Plasco Energy Group Inc. has filed for creditor protection, which puts some 80 people out of work.

In 2012, the city signed a 20-year, $180 million contract with Plasco to process 300 tonnes per day of residential waste from landfills through plasma gasification.

A graphic rendering of the facility attached Ottawa city staff has yet to to the $180 million contract with Plasco to be served with a copy of the process 300 tonnes per day of residential waste from landfills through plasma court’s creditor-protection orgasification. der, but it appears unlikely that any relationship will continue between Plasco and Ottawa city council.

Vancouver tipping fees

Metro Vancouver is considering rolling back its tipping fees for large commercial haulers in a bid to reduce record amounts of garbage being exported to U.S. landfills.

The tipping fee is currently set at $109 per tonne for all vehicles. A new system could base the fee on vehicle size instead, as many larger haulers end up taking advantage of better rates at private transfer facilities that charge around $80 per tonne.

Metro Vancouver estimates that in 2014 about 170,000 tonnes of waste was shipped outside the region.

Northern Quebec e-waste

Quebec’s Electronic Products Recycling Association is helping to support a pilot project in three northern Quebec Nunavik communities to help prevent hazardous waste from entering landfills.

The association has committed to help launch the recycling pilot program for electronics in the Nunavik communities.

These three communities will also have a recycling depot where residents will be able to leave old telephones, microwaves, photocopiers, televisions, computers and other end-of-life electronics.

McNeilus has delivered three McNeilus Metro-Pak Rear Loader refuse vehicles to Valparaiso, Chile. They celebrate the artwork of acclaimed cartoonist Renzo Pecchenino, known as simply LUKAS.

HazMat recycling in B.C.

Chilliwack city council has approved a hazardous waste recycling facility to be located near B.C.’s Fraser River, but controversy continues to follow the project.

Set to be located on Cannor Road, just 150 metres from the Fraser River, the Aevitas Inc. hazardous waste recycling facility is creating fears within environmental circles around the risks of recycling products like lamps, transformer oil and electrical products for fear of byproducts like mercury or PCBs seeping into the famous salmon-bearing river.

The project still requires approval from the provincial Ministry of Environment.

U.S. boosts waste jobs

U.S. employment in the waste and recycling industry increased by 8,700 positions in 2014, bringing total sector employment to a new high of 383,300, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Since a five-year industry low in employment in January 2010, nearly 34,000 jobs—or about 10 per cent— have been created in the waste and recycling sector.

Huge Newalta deal Farewell to former Newalta CEO Al Cadotte.

Calgary-based Newalta Corp. has sold its industrial division, comprised of solid waste and recycling operations, to Torontobased Revolu­tion Acquisitions LP (formed by Birch Hill Equity Partners) for $300 million.

The division includes a leadacid battery recycling facility located in Ville Ste-Catherine, Que., a 59-hectare non-haz­ardous solid waste landfill in Stoney Creek, Ont., and a used oil collection network and re-refining facility in north Vancouver.

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COVER STORY

Slow Burn PHOTO Hellfire Suppresion

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by David Nesseth “Who wants to invest in a landfill? It’s the dump."

– Saskatchewan Mayor John Enns-Wind.

Waging battle against landfill fires

N

ew Year’s Eve began with a bang in New Brunswick that wasn’t the usual fireworks.

A call across emergency radio on the afternoon of Dec. 31, 2014, warned of a fire raging at a Fredericton recycling facility.

As it would turn out, the fire burned for more than half the day, leaving firefighters to drive some two kilometres from the facility to find the nearest water hydrant.

“We’re not in downtown Fredricton. We’re in an isolated area and hydrants are very expensive,” explains Brad Janes, a spokesperson for Fredericton Region Solid Waste.

It’s unknown how the fire started, but the factors for these types of fires are fairly finite: spontaneous combustion; legacy heat; arson; or simply just an absent-minded Fredericton resident in a hurry to take out the trash, to name a few.

“You hope that what the public is putting in there is safe. But you could have a lithium battery inside an ice cream container if you’re not careful,” says Janes.

The fire levelled the recycling facility and burned up some $50,000 worth of recyclables.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first fire for this particular waste management complex on the outskirts of town. The complex includes a landfill, which has been the site of at least two other fires in recent years.

The lack of water resources around the landfill isn’t something that surprises Hellfire Suppression Services, an Alberta-based outfit that specializes in fighting the unusual types of fires that can develop at oil and gas facilities, and, of course, landfills.

“With landfills, you want to keep it out of sight and mind, but this takes you away from the town water and town sewers,” says Ryan Stambaugh, a senior fire control specialist with Hellfire. “Ninety per cent of the time, water logistics are the biggest hurdle,” he adds.

Stambaugh’s out-of-sight, out-of-my mind theory is illustrated perfectly in the comments made by the mayor of a small Saskatchewan town following a landfill fire in late 2013.

“Who wants to invest in a landfill? It’s the dump,” said Mayor John Enns-Wind.

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COVER STORY

LANDFILL FIRE PREVENTION TIPS • Staff training and awareness • Waste acceptance procedures and policies • Divert of hot loads from working face.

• Application of cover soils to minimize size of the active working face Source: SWANA, 2013

Although the mayor later conceded that reinvestment in the landfill was important, the fire could have been avoided had town officials responded to a ministry warning issued during an inspection of the landfill two months before the fire.

Even so, the use of water for fire suppression isn’t as obvious an option as it may seem. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, “The application of large volumes of water may actually exacerbate a fire by contributing to the process of aerobic decomposition.” Water could also overwhelm the leachate collection system in the landfill, if it has one.

A 2012 landfill fire study undertaken in Victoria,Australia, took time

to emphasize the issue of water availability at landfills. The study examined three landfill fires and presented the findings. Simply put, none of the landfills had water supplies that jived with compliance standards.

“None of the facilities had any reticulation system, hoses or mobile tanker capable of providing water for firefighting,” the study states. “On site staffhad no access to water to attempt to extinguish or control a fire despite that being part of the stated objective in relation to fires,” the study’s researcher’s added.

The Australian researchers recommend that when reticulated water supply is not adequate for firefighting purposes, landfill managers

Lack of water resources around the landfill isn’t something that suprises Hellfire.

— PHOTO Hellfire Suppression

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COVER STORY

FIRESTARTER Legacy Heat is the accidental burial of a heat source Spontaneous Combustion is a buried heat source that from

Stambaugh and the Hellfire should maintain at least 50,000 decomposition or chemical oxidation produces hotter temperatures team were called into control the litres of water on site. The study that the waste cannot handle. fire three months after it had been notes that even though Victoria’s farming community must equip Piloted Ignition occurs from a point heat source when ignited waste burning, although there had been previous phone conversations durtractors and machinery operating is buried in the landfill ing which Hellfire attempted to walk in contact with vegetation with fire Arson is a deliberately set fire Iqaluit officials through the fire conextinguishers, no such regulations trol process. exist for the state’s landfills.

In the end, Iqaluit simply didn’t have the resources to extinguish the Landfill fires are not uncommon. Even less uncommon is the fact fire, be it water hydrant access, and even the simple fact that such a small that these waste management complexes are the sites of recurring fires. community could not spare their municipal fire crew for the extraordinTo put this in perspective, take a look at data from the U.S. Fire Adminary amount of time it would take to extinguish such a deep-seated fire istration. Despite the fact the country has less than 2,500 landfills, the buried under tonnes of god knows what.

U.S. experiences more than 8,000 landfill fires per year. For illustration, “We can see what’s happening with, say, a pressurized oil fire,” says that’s about four fires per facility per year.

Stambaugh. “With landfills, you don’t know what’s under there, and even Back in Canada, where fire data is scarcer, let’s rewind to the fall the best records won’t tell you what’s there. It’s a lot of unknowns,” he adds. of 2014 — destination Iqaluit. By then, a landfill fire had been burnHellfire, combined with the efforts of Global Forensics from Red ing for nearly four months’ straight. Officials dubbed the debacle Deer, Alta., took 17 days to extinguish Dumpcano. It took almost as “Dumpcano”, commenting on the landfill’s history of sporadically long to fly in all the firefighting equipment and prep for the challenge of erupting into flames, like an actual volcano. The fire chief, who inadverconquering the 50,000 cubic-metre northern blaze. tently helped craft the landfill’s nickname, speculated that the DumpDumpcano’s close proximity to Frobisher Bay also proved problemcano fire may have been smouldering for years, deeeeep, deep under atic, as its tides can be extremely aggressive. Just like at the scene of piles of waste.

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COVER STORY

the Fredericton recycling fire, there was a lack of useable water. Crews solved the problem by connecting reservoirs to nearby creeks for water.

In terms of the technique for battling the fire burning deep under Dumpcano, Stambaugh swears by the overhaul method. He says some industrial firefighting crews tend to experiment with “one-offs,” or methods that seem a bit more technically impressive, whether it be building concrete walls deep under the fire, or drilling holes in the landfill and pumping in nitrogen.

“Some landfills get talked into these one-off methods, then we end

up getting called back in to use the overhaul method and actually put out the fire,” says Stambaugh.

The overhaul method isn’t glamorous. In fact, it sounds quite dull and time consuming. But Stambaugh says it gets the job done—case closed.

The method, also known as the “Smokey the Bear Method”, simply involves filling bucket after bucket with smouldering material, wetting it, cooling it off, then restacking it, over and over again. It’s the precision and attention to detail that matters, says Stambaugh, because if even the tiniest

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COVER STORY

“

With landfills, you don’t know what’s under there, and even the best records won’t tell you what’s there.

It’s a lot of unknowns.

”

— Ryan Stambaugh, Hellfire Suppression

smouldering piece of trash is missed, it could burn and burn, theoretically for years, until the hotspot reacts to a change in weather and wormholes its way through the refuse on a quest for oxygen to set it ablaze.

“If you miss something even the size of a football, and restack it, you’re right back in the same situation you started in,” says Stambaugh.

While the response team used the overhaul method, other workers continuously doused the smoking landfill heap with massive amounts of water.

Unfortunately, when Dumpcano “erupted”during summer 2014, another northern landfill fire was burning strong in Rankin Inlet. The fire started on June 24 and burned for 10 days, sending thick smoke across the small community of about 2,300. Local flights were cancelled due to visibility issues and residents were advised to stay indoors to avoid breathing any toxic fumes from the blaze. The local public works director told Nunatsiaq News that it was anybody’s guess how the fire began.

“When we’re bulldozing the landfill to level it out a bit, every time we go too low, we could see fire coming out,” said Joe Kaludjak.

The Rankin Inlet fire actually spread out into a series of smaller fires.

Prior to the Rankin fire, two other spring landfill fires broke out in the north. One, a 12-hour landfill fire out in Hay River, N.W.T., when a truck driver, unaware the cargo was on fire, dumped it on the landfill.

The other, a landfill fire in Fort Smith, N.W.T., which began in the landfill’s electronic waste section.

As far as Stambaugh is concerned, any increase in landfill fires

is linked directly to consumers’ packaging penchant of the times. It wasn’t until plastic and synthetics production went into overdrive in the 1980s that landfill fires not only increased in frequency, but toxicity. Batteries, one of the most dangerous fire starter’s, also became more prolific.

Since the 2014 fire, Iqaluit officials have scrambled to make some changes to the remote city’s waste management practices, most notably, attempting to separate materials that pose a risk of combustion at the landfill, like mattresses, tires, flares, batteries, BBQ equipment, and very large pieces of steel and glass. Officials are also investigating options that could bring an incinerator to the northern community.

Nowadays, Stambaugh says a change in consumer habits has started to shift, but facilities are still dealing with untold tonnes of waste sitting in landfills from decades past.

Extinguishing Dumpcano and its toxic stench cost upwards of $3 million.

In the midst of the drama, Iqaluit’s fire chief told CBC News that the makeshift landfill used by the city near the old metal facility is another landfill fire in the making, or “just a recipe to have this happen again,” he said.

David Nesseth is editor of Solid Waste & Recycling magazine. He can be reached at dnesseth@solidwastemag.com

TRAINING OPPORTUNITY – LANDFILL FIRE TRAINING COURSE Tuesday March 24, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Richmond, B.C. Lecturer: Dr. Tony Sperling, P Eng, president Sperling Hansen Associates Inc. Landfill Fire Control Inc. 8 – 1225 East Keith Road Vancouver, B.C. Visit www.swanabc.org February/March 2015 www.solidwastemag.com 13

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RECYCLING

by Bruce Buchan “Check your contract or talk to your waste hauler directly to find out what can be collected.”

10

TIPS

Blue Bins and Green Bins are Not the Answer…Planning is

A

10 tips to refocus your recycling and composting strategy

common challenge facing organizations is that they want to implement effective composting and recycling programs, but simply don’t know where to start.

If sustainability isn’t a driving force in your organization, it can sometimes be challenging to get approval for the investment in your recycling program, which often leads people down the path of purchasing blue bins in the desperation of “let’s just get something started!”

This leads to frustration because nobody seems to follow the recycling program properly. You find trash in your building’s recycling containers and recycling in your trash bin, which then leads to the sad conclusion of “what is the point in even doing this?”

The good news is that it’s actually very simple to implement an effective recycling program that diverts significant waste from landfill.

This will not only achieve your organization’s sustainability goals, but can also generate revenue through significant cost avoidance, allowing

for the payback of your recycling program investment in a short timeframe. It’s a win-win for the environment and your bottom line.

The diversion of organics from landfill is also a hot topic in many areas of North America. The issue being that organic waste decomposing in landfills produces methane gas, a major contributor to climate change. Metro Vancouver started its organic waste ban just last month.

Now, all residential and commercial buildings are required to separate their organic waste from their landfill waste. Failure to comply can result in significant fines.

This type of mandate could leave many organizations scratching their heads, wondering how on earth they are going to start separating their organic waste! The good news is that it’s actually really easy to add organic collection to your facility.

Here are some top tips to get you started with your blue and green bins:

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RECYCLING

1. Define your collection goals

Photos courtesy of Clean River

Find out what your waste hauler will collect and then determine your streams around that. Over the years as material recycling facilities (MRFs) have become more sophisticated, it has become commonplace for waste haulers to collect single-stream (or commingled recycling) rather than separate streams. Others will still collect separate streams for the high value recyclables such as white office paper. Check your contract or talk to your waste hauler directly to find out what can be collected. An important point to note when collecting commingled recycling is that communication to employees and patrons is key to avoiding the misconception of greenwashing. Images can quickly appear on social media if people feel they are being deceived by your recycling program.

2. Identify your unique requirements Sometimes organizations have unique recyclable waste, which due to its nature requires specific collection handling. This could include sharp edges, fragility, liquids or high-market value, for example jewellery manufacturers that collect precious metal scrap for recycling. Location can also be a factor to consider, as many parks contain the threat of rodents, pests or insects. If there is a bottle return program in your area, you may want to have a lockable option so that the recyclables can’t be stolen. Ensure you take all external factors into consideration so that your bin provider can work with you to customize your containers to meet your needs.

tossed in the garbage. This is detrimental to your sustainability goals and in the case of Metro Vancouver’s organics ban will result in significant fines for your organization.

4. One-stop collection 3. Keep your organics and waste together It’s critical to use one station that collects organics, waste and recycling.

The problem with separate waste and compost containers is that they can become physically separated, for example during facility cleaning.

If the containers become separated then people don’t have a choice of where to dispose of their organic waste and it will likely end up being

Recycling and waste collection should ideally be one unit. The issue with having separate waste and recycling containers is that they can become physically separated, for example, during facility cleaning. When the bins become separated people don’t have the choice of where to dispose their garbage, so they often toss it into the closest bin. This causes contamination in your recycling and waste streams that’s detrimental to your sustainability goals because contaminated recycling will often end up at the landfill rather than properly sorted.

5. Put bins where people need them This sounds obvious but you really need to look at the traffic flow in your facility and where organic waste is typically being generated. For example, food scraps are collected in your cafeteria and meeting rooms, and paper towels are used in the washrooms. Look at your facility as a whole, both front and back-of-house, and then determine the optimum location for your organics collection, i.e. don’t place it next to the vending machine, place it where the person is eating the snack they bought from the vending machine and is going to need a bin.

To keep your bins clean and free from food waste and liquid spills use compostable bag liners. Change the bags regularly to keep flies and pests away. Choose containers that have secure bag clips to prevent them from slipping into the bin and causing spills inside the container. This will avoid the extra janitorial costs incurred from having to clean inside the bin when servicing.

6. 2-3 seconds is all it takes for you to be fined The graphics on your containers need to clearly indicate to the person using the bin what can go into the organics stream. It’s considered a best February/March 2015 www.solidwastemag.com 15

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RECYCLING

practice to feature images of your facility-specific waste such as compostable cutlery and plates found in your cafeteria, or coffee filters and food waste generated in your kitchen or meeting rooms. It only takes 2-3 seconds for someone approaching a waste container to decide where they are going to toss their waste, if the graphics aren’t clear then you’re going to find trash in your organics and organics in your trash – which can leave you subject to fines from your waste hauler. Determine the different types of organic waste your organization generates and then your bin supplier can work with you to customize the container graphics for your facility.

7. Compostable throwaways help people make the right choice Support your organics collection by purchasing compostable throwaways rather than plastic or polystyrene. If you purchase compostable salad containers, cutlery, plates, bowls, stir sticks etc. for your cafeterias and kitchens, it empowers people to make the right choice because it reduces the source separation decision, the plate or sandwich container and leftover food can all be tossed together into the organics stream. Another option is to implement a litterless lunch program at your facility, at CleanRiver we give all employees a lunch tote and glass food storage containers to reduce the amount of waste generated by our employees.

8. Protect your money, future-proof your containers Your containers should have the capability of changing as your stream requirements change, so that you protect your initial recycling program investment. You don’t want to be purchasing new containers every time your streams change. In Metro Vancouver, for example, all commercial and residential properties are now required to separate their organic waste from landfill waste. Having separate stream containers is a bad idea because they become separated and then people toss their waste in the nearest bin, not necessarily the correct bin, so ideally you want a container than can incorporate any new stream collections. The volume of waste you produce generally doesn’t change, so when you collect additional streams your container will still hold the same volume — you just need to adapt it to include the additional stream collection.

9. Get everyone excited about being part of the new recycling, composting programs!

Companies that achieve high diversion rates, such as Honda Canada and Wilfred Laurier University, recognize that strong culture is the driver

of recycling program success. Recycling programs should have the full support of senior staff, who should be seen to be actively participating in the program. Make everyone in the organization aware of the new recycling program and your sustainability goals by holding a program launch. Communicate what each stream will be collecting and empower each employee to embrace the initiative and own it. Communicate your diversion rate results, as this really helps employees and patrons buy-in to the recycling program. They want to be part of something that makes a difference to our environment.

Communicate why it’s important for organics to be separated from landfill and show them how much your organization is diverting every month to really motivate them to get on board. You can use posters with an engaging infographic to really drive the message home with clear images of what goes into the organics stream. It’s easy to measure how much you are diverting by weighing the amount of organics you collect in a three-day period and then use those figures to work out how much you divert in a month. Post this near to the bins so people see how their efforts are having a direct impact on the environment.

10. People only have seconds to make the right decision A program launch is vital, and while this might sound obvious it’s critical that you tell everyone where the recycling and waste stations are located, what they look like, and which material goes into which stream. The launch should be supported with posters around the facility reminding people of what is recyclable. The containers should have clear graphics on them, ideally featuring images of waste that is specifically generated in your facility such as cafeteria sandwich containers, disposable coffee cups etc. People only have 2-3 seconds to make the decision of where they are going to throw their waste as they approach the bin, and if the graphics aren’t clear, then chances are the recyclable will be tossed into the garbage.

People like to feel like they are making a difference, so perform regular waste audits and find out your diversion rates. Post the rates next to the bins to encourage people to “think before they toss”.

Follow these 10 simple steps and you will be able to enjoy a high-performance recycling and composting program that can get you on the path to zero waste and meeting your organization’s sustainability goals.

Bruce Buchan is the founder and CEO of CleanRiver Recycling Solutions. He can be reached at bruce.buchan@cleanriver.com

16 www.solidwastemag.com February/March 2015

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A Special Pull-Out Supplement to Solid Waste & Recycling magazine

2015

Natural Gas Vehicles

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Cost Savings & Greater Sustainability Driving Industry Demand!

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S P E C I A L S E C T I O N : N AT U R A L G A S

NATURAL GAS

ARTICLE GUIDE EDITORIAL: GAS MONEY

20

by David Nesseth

NATURAL GAS Q&A Emterra’s Paulina Leung answers our queries

22

by David Nesseth

GAS CITY: Ste-Hyacinthe, Qué.

Transforming compost waste to natural gas for municipal vehicles, buildings

23

by David Vincent

RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS CNG switch equals a 25 per cent greenhouse reduction

27

by Stephanie Thorson February/March 2015 www.solidwastemag.com 18

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EDITORIAL

by David Nesseth

Gas Money 2014 saw major natural gas expansion across North America

A

s oil, gas and diesel prices continue to plummet, it hasn’t appeared to sway many in the waste management industry against switching fleets to natural gas.

In fact, 2014 saw major natural gas expansion across North America for what could be called the “fuel of the moment.”

Across the planet, the sheer number of natural gas vehicles has grown by more 2.5 million vehicles per year. That annual total is expected to nearly double by 2024, according to a new report by Navigant Research.

The same report notes that Canada will experience a nearly 24 per cent growth in natural gas vehicles over the next decade, compared to just 2.3 per cent in the U.S. The research team also notes that higher fuel taxes in Canada will begin to make natural gas even more attractive for fleets.

Despite the 50 per cent drop in the price of crude oil since summer 2014, compressed natural gas (CNG) still rings in at 65 cents a gallon less than diesel did at U.S. pumps in early February.

In Canada, the average price of gas at the pumps has fallen below $1 per litre.

Some industry players see the current lull in oil prices as quashing the cost benefits of natural gas. While prices are now the lowest they’ve

NG Notes • Coteau-du-Lac, Que.-based C.A.T. has leased 100 trucks from Ryder System Inc. that run on CNG. • Hamilton, Ont., is ordering new CNG buses from Nova Bus and New Flyer Industries, based in Winnipeg.

• Medicine Hat just switched over a large portion of its municipal fleet run on natural gas in. City officials say the savings could reach $500,000 annually by 2017.

• Waste Management is on track to have more than 4,000 of its fleet of 18,000 vehicles using CNG and LNG fuels.

• Progressive Waste Solutions has added nearly 250 natural gas-powered trucks to its waste and recycling collection fleet. By 2019, the company expects 18-20 per cent of its fleet to be powered by natural gas.

• Emterra Group added 14 natural gas-fuelled waste and recycling trucks to its B.C. fleet in April.

“It’s becoming more commonplace in Canada for municipalities to embed sustainability requirements into a project’s tender process.”

been since 2009, for the most part decision makers are taking the longterm view and recognize that markets have their ups and downs.

“We as a company believe in and have committed to natural gas vehicles because it is aligned with our corporate mission of employing technologies and techniques that produce better results, contributing to the environmental and economic sustainability of the communities in which we work, live, and play, and lastly, because it makes long term economic sense,” says Paulina Leung, Emterra’s VP of corporate strategy and business development.

Natural Gas Prices for Vehicles Average 2014 ¢/kilogram ¢/L gasoline equivalent ¢/L diesel equivalent Vancouver 117.3 77.4 80.2 Edmonton 115.1 75.9 78.7 Toronto 123.9 81.7 84.7

CNG or liquid natural gas (LNG), have remained particularly attractive for municipal buses and refuse trucks for a couple of reasons. Primarily, these vehicles have short routes that don’t stray too far from fuel depots.

It’s also becoming more commonplace in Canada for municipalities to embed sustainability requirements into a project’s tender process— something like a “green clause,” where if vehicles are involved, natural gas or other alternative fuels may be favoured over fossil fuel fleets.

Municipalities may also require sustainability data from a prospective company.

Incentive-based programs like those from players like FortisBC are also contributing to the growth of natural gas in Canada.

David Nesseth is editor of Solid Waste & Recycling Magazine. He can be reached at dnesseth@solidwastemag.com

20 www.solidwastemag.com February/March 2015

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Q&A

with Emterra’s Paulina Leung

How and why Emterra switched fleets to natural gas

Q.

W hat kind of legwork did Emterra do to investigate the idea of switching to NG?

“W

e tried to find compressed natural gas (CNG) fleets and owners/ operators in cold weather climates to learn from their experiences since our first CNG fleet would be in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Despite much searching far and wide in North America, there was no one else using CNG trucks in a cold weather climate. That was when we knew we had to go it on our own and learn on our own, for better or for worse.

We also considered: • Any road taxes currently in play or planned?

• Reliability of the Cummins Westport ISL G engine and CNG vehicles offered by the major original equipment manufacturer • Total cost of ownership (TOC) of the slow-fill CNG station • TOC of CNG trucks compared to diesel trucks • Any special maintenance requirements of CNG trucks compared to diesel trucks • Safety features of the CNG truck • Properties of CNG.”

Q.

How did you determine which areas to test out natural gas vehicle fleets? Will there be further expansions?

“W

innipeg is the first Canadian jurisdiction in which we launched a CNG fleet. This opportunity came about because we won the city-wide solid waste collection contract. Even though the city did not ask for a CNG fleet, we offered it as a value added feature to the city and rate payers.

Since 2012, we have been expanding our CNG fleet with CNG trucks across Canada whenever the economic and environmental opportunities align. Over the next 12 months, you will see Emterra significantly expand its NG fleet and NG fuelling infrastructure across Canada. We will be launching nearly 140 CNG trucks this year and building out our CNG fuelling infrastructure to support these new vehicles. Starting in B.C., two new CNG fuelling stations will be opening in Victoria, B.C., and Chilliwack, B.C. in the next few months to fuel both our fleets as well as third party fleets that want to sharpen their competitive edge by using NGVs without having to make the investment on their own fuelling infrastructure. Thinking about it differently, the more we expand our NG fleet and fuelling infrastructure, the more we and other fleets shrink our environmental footprint!”

Q.

T ell us about some of the unforeseen issues following fleets’ switch to NG?

“I

would say that our challenges have primarily been associated with the arctic climate of Winnipeg. Is it a surprise that the weather is extremely cold there? No. But, what we, nor even the OEMs, could not predict or even try to guestimate was how our equipment would react and interact with the Arctic climate. Ultimately, our experience and learnings with our equipment partners have led to additional developments and changes on their end as well as ours.

Q.

D o you change approaches midstream when natural gas prices continue to fall alongside oil prices?

“W

e as a company believe in and have committed to natural gas vehicles because it is aligned with our corporate mission of employing technologies and techniques that produce better results, contributing to the environmental and economic sustainability of the communities in which we work, live, and play, and lastly, because it makes long term economic sense. The recycling industry itself goes through ups and downs like it did in 2008-2009 but we have stayed in this business despite the turmoil and are now one of the largest fully integrated recycling companies in Canada. Having a mission and a long term plan gives us the focus and the resources to stay the course when others may not.”

Q.

H ave you been able to take advantage of any green bidding pro­ces­ ses for NG projects/fleets? Or any other kind of assistive funding?

“W

e have been very fortunate and grateful to have been awarded funding from FortisBC through their Vehicle Incentive Program. This has definitely helped accelerate our use of NG trucks in the province of B.C., which is really where the growth and excitement for NGVs has been in Canada over the last few years. No other province has taken that first bold step to put money on the line to speed up the adoption of NGV use. However, we hope that will change, especially in provinces where there is user demand, but where there lacks a financial catalyst.”

Paulina Leung is VP of corporate strategy and business development for Emterra Group. She can be reached at paulina.Leung@emterra.ca

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N A T U R A L G A S : S A I N T- H YA C I N T H E

by David Vincent “Beginning in fall 2015, organic matter from brown bins of 23 municipalities and agribusiness firms will be processed at the new organics recovery centre.”

Gas City Transforming compost waste to natural gas for municipal vehicles, buildings

S

aint-Hyacinthe is now the first city in Quebec to produce natural gas from organic matter and use the energy to power the municipality.

The organics recycling center utilizes brown bin contents from 23 municipalities and area agribusinesses into renewable natural gas.

Saint-Hyacinthe will also power its municipal vehicles fleet with natural gas.

Making the project a reality has cost more than $48 million.

Saint-Hyacinthe and Gaz Métro entered into an agreement in late 2014 to purchase renewable natural gas surplus produced by the city, up to 13 million cubic meters per year for 20 years.

“Gaz Métro is proud to use its gas network for this promising project, to allow all its clients to take advantage of locally produced renewable natural gas,” states Martin Imbleau, VP of development and

Renewable Energies at Gaz Métro. “Choosing this energy to fuel vehicles is another step toward the intelligent and systematic recovery of organic materials in Québec, by creating an infinitely renewable cycle.

We hope that this project will inspire many other municipalities to follow suit,” added Imbleau.

A similar application has also been filed with Régie, Que. Through the revenue from these agreements, Saint-Hyacinthe will, in a few years, be able to recover its financing costs for the installation of its materials recovery plants for organics and biogas.

Overall, in 2016-2017, when the whole biogas chain is fully operational, the city will draw significant revenue from the facility, most notably savings of over $500,000 in fuel and heating of municipal vehicles and buildings, by simply utilizing materials from the brown bin.

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February/March 2015 www.solidwastemag.com 23

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N A T U R A L G A S : S A I N T- H YA C I N T H E FIRST STEPS TOWARDS BIOMETHANATION The treatment plant for Saint-Hyacinthe applied biological treatment for activated sludge its biodegrade organic matter. In 2008, it produced about 14,000 tonnes of wet material trucked to a composting site located 113 km away. To reduce the volume and transportation associated with it, the city built three anaerobic digesters and a dryer for its thermal treatment plant.

This process converts methane sludge, which is then used to fill the energy needs required to operate the plant. The remaining solid residues, called digestate, are used to make fertilizer used in agriculture. In addition to reducing odours in ambient air, the method has eliminated transporting tons of sludge and CO2 emissions, while saving some $1.3 million per year. for the transport and disposal of organic matter, Saint-Hyacinthe has chosen to focus on biomethanation. This is one of the first cities in eastern North America to implement the infrastructure to produce biogas from organic materials and use it to power vehicles and heat or cool its municipal buildings. Here is an overview of the work being done to implement the biogas process.

COMPOST BIOMETHANATION By 2007, some 20 municipalities had chosen to preserve the environment by implementing the collection of brown bins for organics recovery.

Beginning in the fall of 2015, the organic matter from the brown bins of 23 municipalities (10,200 tonnes per year) and those from agribusi-

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15-02-18 11:41 AM

ness firms (14,000 tonnes per year) will be processed locally at the new organics recovery centre.

Citizens and food companies will be able to upgrade their organic waste in compliance with the environment and at a lower cost.

The organics facility is equipped with a system for receiving organic material. It grinds the materials and pours it into the biodigester plant for biomethanation. Digested bacterial flora is transformed into biomethane. Once purified, the natural gas is injected into the gas distribution network.

The remaining organic material from this process and the sludge produced by wastewater treatment plant wastewater is routed to the adjoining maturation platform. In 25 days, it turns into fertile ground used by the city in its parks and green spaces. Part of the sludge is put in a dryer to heat and make a fertilizer.

The processing of organic materials into biogas allows the city to generate 50 per cent biogas, 30 per cent soil and 20 per cent fertilizer.

This fits perfectly with the sustainable development of the city since it combines ecological, economic and social factors.

Note that natural gas generates savings on fuel of up to 40 per cent compared with diesel, in addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions up to 25 per cent. By opting for renewable natural gas as a fuel, emissions decrease by more than 99.4 per cent considering the fuel’s complete life cycle.

Gaz Métro has been working with many partners and road transport companies since 2010 to make sure Québec carriers benefit from the major economic and environmental advantages of switching from oil

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N A T U R A L G A S : S A I N T- H YA C I N T H E

products to natural gas. To date, there are more than 350 natural gas vehicles on Québec’s roads.

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Out of the darkness comes one big, bright idea in residential waste collection. Odyssey™ is the integrated front loader that combines versatility, simple operation, reduced need for maintenance, increased efficiency, and a lower cost to operate.

No other automated front loader has the innovative features Odyssey has, so no other front loader can do what Odyssey does.

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26 www.solidwastemag.com February/March 2015

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N AT U R A L G A S : R N G

by Stephanie Thorson “The economics of switching to a blend of CNG and RNG are favorable, even with the current prices of gasoline and diesel.”

The Next Renewable Vehicle fuel: RNG CNG switch equals a 25 per cent greenhouse gas reduction

R

enewable Natural Gas (RNG) is a little known fuel that has enormous potential to economically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, a sector which has high greenhouse gas emissions.

In the same way that ethanol is blended with gasoline and bio-diesel is blended with diesel fuel, RNG can be blended with natural gas for compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles or liquefied natural gas (LNG) vehicles. The Biogas Association is working to develop RNG as a vehicle fuel to cost-effectively improve the environmental performance of the transportation sector.

Fleet managers are increasingly exploring the option to switch to natural gas as a vehicle fuel. Economics are driving the switch, but for organizations that have sustainability targets, the greenhouse gas emissions reductions are a significant driver as well. Switching to CNG provides about a 25 per cent greenhouse gas reduction, and blending in 10 per cent RNG brings the GHG reduction to over 30 per cent.

In Surrey, B.C., the municipality is building a FUEL PRICE facility that will process Gasoline and diesel $1.05/litre source separated organics Compressed natural gas $0.60/litre and generate RNG. By Compressed RNG $1.20/litre fueling its waste truck fleet with RNG, it will be Cop. CNG/RNG blend (90%/10%) $0.65/litre able to meet the city’s entire greenhouse gas reduction target for transportation. Transportation accounts for 50 per cent of the corporation’s emissions, so this is a major achievement for Surrey.

CNG vehicles can run on 100 per cent RNG, and there are millions of hours of driving experience in Europe with this fuel. Increasingly, fleets across California are using Redeem branded fuel offered by Clean Energy Fuels, which includes a blend of RNG, as available, with no added cost.

In Europe, RNG is increasingly being used as a transportation fuel.

The drivers for this are regulation and taxes on waste disposal, increasing need for renewable fuel sources, the European Commission’s Biofuels Directive, measures to improve local air quality, and the need for clean transportation fuels in urban areas.

Things are starting to change here in Canada. In addition to the development in Surrey, a landfill near Montreal injects RNG into the natural gas pipeline and helps fuel waste trucks operated by Progressive Waste Solutions. Niagara is moving ahead with a plan to convert biogas from its wastewater treatment facility to RNG, to be used as a vehicle fuel.

Municipalities across Canada are proving that organic waste from green bins, wastewater treatment plants, and landfills can cost-effectively be converted into useable clean energy.

The environmental benefits of displacing diesel or gasoline with RNG are significant. While combustion of RNG produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, the carbon comes from plant matter that fixed this carbon from atmospheric carbon dioxide. It has the added benefit of

converting decaying matter that would normally release methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into useable energy. The air quality benefits are extensive as well, as particulate matter levels decrease substantially when moving from diesel to CNG. The chart below from the California Air Resources Board illustrates the difference in greenhouse gas emissions from diesel and alternative fuels.

The economics of switching to a blend of CNG and RNG are favourable, even with the current prices of gasoline and diesel. Payback can be calculated using the chart above, and depend on how much fuel a fleet uses.

The City of London, Ont., is examining the feasibility of moving its fleets to a CNG/RNG blend, and is discussing the opportunity of sharing the fueling infrastructure with private sector fleets in London and the area.

The Canadian Gas Association recently released its Smart Energy Future: RNG Roadmap, which includes a focus on developing RNG as a vehicle fuel. The association is working with stakeholders on determining a path forward to help bring this opportunity to the marketplace.

Through the Closing the Loop project, the Biogas Association plans to see more municipal RNG projects developed in the coming years.

Municipalities are invited to learn more at the Closing the Loop workshop stream of the Value of Biogas workshop, Mar. 25 in Hamilton, Ont. To learn more or get involved, visit www.biogasassociation.ca/VOB. Stephanie Thorson is an associate with the Biogas Association. She can be reached at sthorson@biogasassociation.ca February/March 2015 www.solidwastemag.com 27

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PRODUCT PROFILE

Brockville brothers Jackson Wyatt, left, and Morgan Wyatt are pictured with David Chilton

Compost bros strike $85K deal with Dragons The Greenlid co-founders Morgan and Jackson Wyatt settled on selling 20 per cent equity

C

BC Dragons’ Den hosts David Chilton and Arlene Dickinson While each of the five Dragons made a variety of offers, The Greenknow first-hand that Canadians are fed up with dealing with dislid co-founders Morgan and Jackson Wyatt eventually settled on sellgusting, leaky, plastic compost bags. And they’re putting their ing 20 per cent equity of The Greenlid to Dickinson and Chilton for money where their mess is. During a recent episode of Dragons’ Den, $85,000. The Wyatt brothers will use the Dragons’ investment to purthey invested $85,000 in The Greenlid — an innovative, clean, comchase the final moulds for the containers, allowing the product to be postable, kitchen compost container for household organics. completely made in Canada to minimize its carbon footprint, as well as “The science behind The Greenlid is impressive and all covering initial purchase orders, and expanding its marketing five of us immediately saw its benefits. Although Canand retail programs. Dickinson’s marketing and busiadians know how important it is to compost, I don’t ness expertise and Chilton’s financial and retail savvy know anyone who likes cleaning and changing green will play key roles growing The Greenlid exponenbins,” says Chilton, finance and publishing expert, tially across Canada. and author of Canada’s bestselling The Wealthy Barber “The Greenlid is a scientifically clever, clean solution books. “Our goal is to make The Greenlid widely availto a real problem,” says Dickinson, one of Canada’s most able across Canada so everyone has an opportunity to put renowned independent marketing-communications entreone in their kitchens.” preneurs. “It directly addresses a need in the marketplace, Constructed from end-of-life recycled cardboard and including my own home, and I’m excited to work with Mornewsprint, The Greenlid is scientifically designed to make gan and Jackson to help them realize its business potential.” composting easier and cleaner by using a proprietary leak reThe Greenlid is available at numerous retailers across sistant formula that mimics natural water-repelling Canada including Home Depot and select Home The Greenlid structures found in nature. As a result, The GreenHardware Stores across Canada. A starter pack, lid can hold four litres of the wettest organics and remain leak resistant which includes five compostable compost bins, five compostable paper for up to 10 days while remaining an attractive addition to your kitchen. lids and a reusable dishwasher safe plastic lid retails for $11.99. A refill A re-useable, dishwasher safe lid keeps smells locked away while The pack including five compostable bins and five compostable lids retails Greenlid is in use. When placed in municipal compost facilities or home for $6.99. compost, The Greenlid quickly breaks down, adding to the overall ecofriendly nature of the product and quality of the compost, which eventuFor more information on the Greenlid, visit www.thegreenlid.ca or on ally becomes useable soil. social media @the_greenlid.

28 www.solidwastemag.com February/March 2015

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SPECIAL SECTION: BIOFUELS

SURREY BIOFUEL COMING

B

y late 2016, a fully integrated closed-loop organics facility worth some $60 million is expected to be operational in Surrey, B.C., with the municipality’s refuse trucks running solely on biofuel created from kitchen and yard waste.

Iris Solutions has been selected by the City of Surrey to make the Surrey Biofuels Processing Facility project a reality that will process 115,000 tonnes of organic waste each year.

The city’s approach to developing the facility is through a public-private partnership, with the federal government kicking in 25 per cent of the capital costs through the P3 Canada Fund.

Metro Vancouver is attempting to achieve a regional 70 per cent waste diversion target.

The Rethink Waste program has already led to an over 40 per cent reduction in Surrey’s residential garbage sent to landfill.

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BIOFUELS Article Guide

GREASING THE WHEELS Used cooking oil kickstarts vehicles into alternative fuel market

by David Nesseth

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ON THE PATH TO BIOGAS Factors fueling anaerobic digestion growth

by Stephanie Thorson

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TIP FEES FALL AS DIGESTION EXPANDS More landfill bans in sight?

by John Nicholson

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BIOFUELS: GREASECYCLE

by David Nesseth “Cooking oil is most profitable on the animal feedstock market, but that’s not what company has in mind.”

Greasing the Wheels Used cooking oil kickstarts vehicles into alternative fuel market

G

reasecycle Inc. has found a new deep-fry devotee in the University of British Columbia (UBC).

When the school’s kitchens are busy pumping out French fries and chicken wings to warm bellies this winter, the leftover cooking oil will begin a new journey towards helping move B.C.’s fossil fuel-based vehicles towards biodiesel.

At least that’s the vision of these newfangled green grease monkeys.

In less than five years, social enterprise Greasecycle has gone from selling jugs of biodiesel at a Sunday farmer’s market, to collecting thousands of litres of used cooking oil from B.C. schools, malls and restaurants.

“Most people didn’t want to make biodiesel, they just wanted to buy it,” says Hassaan Rahim, Greasecycle’s client services manager. “We wanted to focus on creating a local low-carbon economy, by powering it, and not being another fossil fuel burden on the economy.”

From 30 Burger King locations to hotels and pubs across the province, the Food Services department at UBC is the latest partnership in a venture that has grown by 20 per cent each year since Greasecycle started its free collection services in 2010.

Five Greasecycle trucks — which, of course, run on biodiesel — make scheduled pickups from its customer base. The trucks are equipped with suction pumps that vacuum out used cooking oil from massive storage barrels, some of which can handle more than 2,000 litres, depending on the facility.

Typically, the used cooking oil is most profitable on the animal feedstock market, but that’s not what this Duncan, B.C.-based company has in mind. It’s more concerned about turning the tide away from fossil fuels, and helping to open up the biodiesel market out West.

After Greasecycle collects the used cooking oil, it’s cleaned, recycled and sold on the market through the Cowichan Bio-diesel Co-op, whose motto is, “We eat locally, and so do our cars.”

For businesses, Rahim says Greasecycle is a no-brainer. Without cost, his team helps set up the oil containers, then removes them when full. They even go so far as to create annual certificates highlighting each business’ reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

“It’s a great opportunity for businesses to promote themselves as low-carbon,” says Rahim. “We want to reach out to as many customers as possible.”

For UBC, it’s not just about having the used oil collected, or even projecting an image of sustainability. The university has a team of students who work with biodiesel, and will have access to the product for research. The school even uses biodiesel to fuel some of its own plant

After Greasecycle collects the used cooking oil, it’s cleaned, recycled and sold on the market.

operations fleet, a practice it will be able to expand under the new partnership. In fact, UBC is currently four years ahead of schedule for its biofuels target.

Besides biofuels, UBC’s Food Services department also goes to great lengths to ensure it has eco-friendly procurement practices. Students grow a number of vegetables on the school farm, and have particularly rigorous waste, recycling and composting programs.

Greasecycle, founded in part by company president Brian Roberts, has greasy partnerships with other schools too. Similar programs are running at Camosun College and Vancouver Island University, and Greasecycle is currently working on a deal with the University of Victoria.

Spreading the word about Greasecycle’s vision and services is working so far, says Rahim, but they want to get even bigger.

Hassaan Rahim, “We’re a very small 10-person team, and Greasecycle’s client services manager. employee-owned, so right now it’s everybody’s job to be that salesperson and spread the message,” he says.

David Nesseth is editor of Solid Waste & Recycling magazine. He can be reached at dnesseth@bizinfogroup.ca February/March 2015 www.solidwastemag.com 31

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B I O F U E L S : M U N I C I PA L I T I E S

by Stephanie Thorson “The business case for biogas depends on a range of variables, which are outlined in the guide.”

On the Path to Biogas Factors fueling anaerobic digestion growth

O

ntario municipalities can benefit in a range of ways by generating biogas from several of their operations, whether it’s green bin organic material collection, wastewater treatment, or landfill.

Municipalities are increasingly investigating ways to expand diversion rates, treat waste within their own boundaries, and reduce waste treatment and hauling costs. Biogas provides solutions to these priorities.

When the time comes for your municipality to review its waste management options, the Biogas Association has created a Municipal Guide to Biogas to assist in your analysis and help you plan the next steps. There are also case studies of various municipal biogas and landfill gas systems.

There is also a Value of Biogas workshop in Hamilton, Ont., set for Mar. 25. The event has two separate streams for municipal officials.

Visit www.biogasassociation.ca/VOB. This resource and event is available free of charge to municipal representatives due to financial support awarded through the Education and Capacity Building Program by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO).

Innovative Ontario biogas projects led by Hamilton, Toronto, Chatsworth/Georgian Bluffs and Niagara will be showcased at the event. A tour of some of these municipal biogas systems is taking place on Mar. 26, 2015.

Municipalities across Ontario have voiced some key drivers that are contributing to greater interest in the anaerobic digestion of organic materials from source-separated organic (SSO) collection programs, and

from wastewater treatment (WWT) facilities and landfills. While anaerobic digestion is used extensively by Ontario municipalities for WWT facilities, its application for treating SSO material has been limited to date. Some key drivers fueling the growth of anaerobic digestion include:

Waste Management and Planning • more material, such as diapers and pet waste, can be diverted by using anaerobic digestion • pre-treatment results in the ability to screen out contaminants such as plastic bags, glass and metal • small footprint and odour control technologies enable municipalities to treat organic material within their own borders • proximity of the treatment facility to the source of material translates to significant savings on trucking costs • handling material locally eliminates need for costly transfer stations.

Sustainability and Policy • helps meet climate change policy targets since methane is captured and utilized, lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Shorter waste hauling distances also dramatically affects greenhouse gas emissions • upgrading the biogas to renewable natural gas, and using it as a carbonneutral vehicle fuel is also an option • pathogen destruction is effective • after harvesting the energy, end products have value as a compost feedstock or soil amendment, returning nutrients to the soil • green job creation • contributes to resilience and utilizing waste as a resource, keeping dollars circulating locally

Revenue • energy produced can be captured and utilized on-site to reduce utility costs, or in some cases, sold to the electricity grid • approximately one megawatt of electricity can be generated for each 25,000 tonnes of SSO/year While wastewater treatment plants and landfills routinely flare the biogas produced at the digesters and landfill sites, the Municipal Guide to Biogas urges operators to examine the economic case for converting the biogas into useable energy. The business case for biogas depends on a range of variables, which are outlined in the guide. Municipalities can use the checklist in the guide to determine if anaerobic digestion should be considered, and whether discussions with consultants and technology suppliers should be initiated.

The Disco Road Green Bin Facility in Toronto.

PHOTO Biogas Association.

Stephanie Thorson is an associate with the Biogas Association. She can be reached at sthorson@biogasassociation.ca

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BIOFUELS: ANAEROBIC

Tip fees fall as digestion expands More landfill bans in sight?

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iversion of recyclable waste and organics from landfill is the policy of many municipal and provincial governments across Canada. The Blue Bin has been around for decades and the green bin for organics is relatively new, with many programs still younger than a decade. For the most part, participation rates for organics hover around 25 per cent.

Organic material, which makes up approximately 40 per cent of the typical content of residential waste in Canada, is seen as a great resource currently being wasted through disposal in landfill. Based on StatsCan data on waste generation, this means there is over five million tonnes of organic waste being generated by Canadian households per year.

Besides organic waste from residential sources, millions of tonnes of organic material is generated annually by the industrial, commercial and institutional (IC&I) sectors in Canada.

For years, municipalities have tried various approaches, but struggled to increase participation rates in diversion programs for residents along and IC&I sectors. Many municipalities use a voluntary approach that has proven to yield relatively low participation rates.

Two relatively recent approaches in Canada to increasing organics diversion can be seen in Manitoba, Quebec and Vancouver. Manitoba has a $10 per tonne landfill levy used to offset the costs of recycling programs. Quebec has opted for a landfill levy of $20 per tonne, with

by John Nicholson “Data from 2010 shows that there were approximately 100 anaerobic digesters in North America that processed food waste.�

approximately half that amount set aside for five years (2011-2015) to develop organics recycling infrastructure and programs. The City of Vancouver decided to pass a bylaw, effective Jan. 1, banning organics from landfill.

Organics Destination Once diverted from landfill, organics are managed through either composting or anaerobic digestion. One advantage of composting is lower capital costs. One advantage of anaerobic digestion, however, is the lower operating costs resulting from the production of energy in the form February/March 2015 www.solidwastemag.com 33

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BIOFUELS: ANAEROBIC

of biogas, which can be used to generate heat and/or electricity that can be sold.

There is a trend toward anaerobic digestion in Canada over recent years. Data from 2010 shows that there were approximately 100 anaerobic digesters in North America that processed food waste. That number had been growing substantially with over 35 farm-based anaerobic digestion plants in Ontario alone.

Municipalities have also begun to develop anaerobic digestion facilities to manage organics. Examples of systems in place can be found in Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., Toronto, and in Surrey, B.C. Private sector players have also entered the market, believing a profit can be turned generating revenues from the tip fee from the organic waste. Waste is the feedstock for the anaerobic digester that can be sold for heat and/or electricity generated from the biogas. Harvest Power is one of the larger private sector companies in Canada with a facility in southwestern Ontario and another in Richmond, B.C.

The Future The trend for more anaerobic digestion facilities in Canada and, in fact, all of North America, can be attributed to several factors. One factor in is that government and government-controlled utilities pay a premium for the green energy produced from anaerobic digestion. In Ontario, under the feed-in-tariff program, anaerobic digestion facilities receive $0.14 per kW/hr of electricity produced.

A factor in the growth of anaerobic digestion facilities on farms can be attributed to stricter government policies on manure management and an easing of restrictions for use of off-farm organics as feedstock.

Ontario, for example, increased the allowable amount of off-farm organic feedstock that farms can accept from 25 per cent to 50 per cent.

Off-farm organics typically generate more biogas with anaerobic digestion and thus generate more revenue through the sale of excess heat and electricity.

The growth of on-farm municipal and private sector options for organic waste is good news for generators of organic waste. Conversions with brokers and owners of anaerobic digestion facilities have revealed that tipping fees are dropping in some locations across Canada as the economics of supply and demand take hold.

It is likely that more municipalities and provinces across Canada will adopt landfill bans, taxes or some other mechanism to keep organics out of landfills. This will all but assure an increased supply of organics and more anaerobic digestion facilities across the country. With municipal, private industry and farms all competing for organic waste as feedstock for anaerobic digestion, tip fees should continue to fall. The prediction by some, however, that tip fees may fall to zero seems unlikely.

John Nicholson is a consultant based in Toronto. He can be reached at john.nicholson@ebccanada.com

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SPOTLIGHT

by Christine McKiernan “Contamination levels become more significant once food has gone through the hands of consumers, and simple screening processes will often not suffice.”

Hard to Digest Contamination in Food Waste for Anaerobic Digesters

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asted food is a huge topic of discussion lately — and that’s a good thing. Over 36 million tonnes of food waste per year are disposed of in U.S. landfills alone.

Several states and metro areas have recently implemented bans on food waste going to landfills and, instead, are sending discarded food to composters or anaerobic digesters. Typically, wasted food is an excellent source of energy in an anaerobic digester, a process that relies on ancient bacteria functioning in oxygen-free digesters. In this environment bacteria convert organic material into methane or renewable energy. For these bacteria to convert food waste to energy, they must establish good contact with food for a sufficient length of time.

However, depending on its source, food waste can be highly contaminated by other materials. This contamination interferes not only with the contact needed between bacteria and organic material, but can cause operational issues for the digester’s components.

Each food waste stream has its own set of obstacles, some more challenging than others. Referring to Table One, different sources of food waste have generally been characterized by contamination level:

Table One:

Contamination levels become more significant once food has gone through the hands of consumers, and simple screening processes will often not suffice. Many institutions or commercial facilities implement educational programs encouraging consumers to dispose food in specially marked bins — these programs can have a tremendous impact on reducing contamination.

Optimizing the energy potential of various wastes and their contaminants requires careful review and selection of appropriate digester technology.

Wet vs. Dry Tech Digestion methodology is divided into two major categories: wet and dry fermentation. The primary distinguishing factor between the configurations is the percentage of solids (%TS) that the digester operates at. Wet digesters typically handle pumpable waste and operate from 7-15%TS. (Note, wet digestion here does not include high rate digesters operating at 1-2%TS).

Wastes with little contamination or requiring only simple pre-screen-

Food Waste Source Sorted by Contamination Level

Food Waste Source

Examples

Contamination Description

Contamination level

Food & beverage manufacturing

Snacks, baked goods, meat/ poultry processing, dairy goods – cheese, ice cream, yogurt.

Attention given to CIP chemicals (clean-in-place) for disinfection purposes as those can sometime be toxic to digestion process.

1

Pre-consumer

College or hospital cafeteria prep, restaurant prep, grocery delis, etc.

Gloves, packaging, utensils

2

Post-consumer

Cafeteria and restaurant waste bins

Utensils, paper goods, some glass/plastic/cans

3

Municipal green collection programs

Packaging/wrappers – plastics/paper, some glass.

Miscellaneous ‘garbage’

4

Most cities in the US

Anything and everything

5

Green bins or source separated organics (SSO) Municpal solid waste (MSW)

Scale from 1-5, 5 containing the most contamination February/March 2015 www.solidwastemag.com 35

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SPOTLIGHT

ing often make their way into wet digesters. One such scenario could involve screened and pulped waste from a university kitchen. If available, this waste could be combined with material from a nearby potato chip manufacturer; these combined waste can easily be pumped into a wet digester and potentially produce significant volumes of methane for energy generation.

Dry digesters, on the other hand, are typically batch tunnels or bays operating at less than 20%TS. Feedstock or wastes loaded into a dry digester are usually stackable and cannot be pumped, making dry digesters useful in applications where liquid wastes are not available for creating pumpable slurries, as done with wet digestion.

Expired foods or grocers’ rejected produce would be scenarios where dry digestion may be the best option; the waste itself can consist of large items — watermelons, heads of lettuce, ends of deli meats, etc. This type of stream works well in a dry digester where pumping is not necessary.

Municipal collection of green bins or munici-

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SPOTLIGHT

Table Two:

Food Waste Source Sorted by Energy Potential Energy Potential (cubic feet of methane/ ton of material)

Digestion Technology

Screening Complexity

Food & beverage manufacturing

>4,000

Wet

1

Pre-consumer

4,060

Wet or dry if large bulk material

1-2

Post-consumer

1,720

Wet

2-3

Green bin (or SSO source separated organics)

2,280

Wet or dry depending on screening used

3-4

MSW 2” sorted organic fraction

2,600

Dry (wet if multi-stage screening used)

4-5

Food Waste Source

Scale of 1-5, 1 being less complex and 5 being most complex. Values are approximations generated from existing data and may fluctuate or be subject to change.

pal solid waste garbage bins characteristically result in the most contaminated stream, and requires the highest level of sorting/screening to produce a stream suitable for digestion. However, not all contamination is removed.

Consider a typical collected garbage bag. Its contents may include glass bottles, plastic yogurt cups, batteries, even electronics. Glass may break, plastics may crack…and so on. Most of these inorganic materials will pose little problem as modern waste receiving stations can remove metals with magnets, float out plastics, sort out large items, and screen small items down to two inches in diameter. The resulting two-inch organic fraction — although still containing some glass, plastic, etc. — becomes suitable for use in a dry digester since maceration and pumping are not required. If wet digestion is to be used with a two-inch fraction, additional screening is required to protect equipment from the effects of excess ground glass, etc.

waste sources are noted by their potential available energy. Potential energy is measured by a series of lab scale digestion tests called biochemical methane potential; using this data is useful for project planning to understand economic benefits and deciding on technology.

For example, if a potential project uses 5,000 tonnes per year of post-consumer waste, plus another 10,000 tonness per year of green bin waste, the expected energy output would be in the range of 600-650 kW or 45,000-50,000 MMBTU/year (not including thermal recovery from the combined heat and power genset). Depending on the market for this energy, the project may earn in excess of $500,000 per year in electric sales. However, these earnings must be weighed against the required infrastructure to receive and prepare the food waste. Different waste streams and contamination levels have varied impacts on the possible end uses and/or processing of the residuals as they are converted into useful byproducts.

Economics

Christine McKiernan is the VP of development and technology for BIOFerm Energy Systems. She can be reached at mcch@ biofermenergy.com

Contamination levels not only can influence digester technology choices, but also project economics. In Table Two, the various food

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RECYCLING

Lakehead University students Kayla Snyder (left) and Brooke Marion show pieces of permeable pavement made from recycled tires and seafood shells.

PHOTO Lakehead University

Tires + Seafood = Pavement An unusual yet underutilized recycling process

A

team of researchers at Lakehead University has developed a novel way of treating pollution with waste materials that are also forms of pollution.

After one year of experiments carried out at Lakehead’s LEED Platinum campus in Orillia, Ont., a new form of permeable pavement has been developed that is made from 100 per cent waste products: recycled tires and recycled seafood waste in the form of a biopolymer called chitosan.

With findings recently published in an international scientific journal, the work has demonstrated that with very little requirement for equipment or energy, one can make a material from crumb rubber (bits of tire) and chitosan (shrimp and crab shells) that’s strong enough to serve as a pavement surface, but still porous enough to allow water to percolate down through it.

More than 300 million waste tires accumulate each year in the U.S.

by Chris Murray “Recycled tires and recycled seafood waste in the form of a biopolymer called chitosan.”

alone, and the majority of the approximately 80 per cent that are reused are destined for fuel sources.

Permeable pavement is increasingly being used to relieve strain on stormwater systems, and prevent erosion and pollution. This new material can also filter out particles like sediment that is carried by water, and remove dissolved pollutants like heavy metals.

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RECYCLING

According to the abstract for the project, the team “characterized the hydraulic conductivity, mechanical properties, and the capability of these materials to remove particulate and dissolved pollutants (including zinc) from water. The dependence of material properties on process parameters such as binding polymer content differs from what is typical of binder-based permeable pavement, due to the mechanism by which chitosan is introduced, and in many cases the stability of the composite material increases with decreased binding polymer content.”

I’ve been studying chitosan since my graduate work at the University of Guelph, where under the supervision of Professor John Dutcher, I examined ultrathin (less than a micron thick) films of this abundant but underused material. I’ve also worked for the last decade developing new technologies for the management of stormwater and wastewater, and am a member of the Ontario Tire

Shrimp and crab shells, or chitosan, can be used to relieve strain on stormwater systems and prevent erosion and pollution.

Adam Ashley Canadian Sales Manager, Refuse E-mail: aashley@lmi.ca Cell: 226-234-4546 Website: www.lmi.ca

@ London Machinery Inc. @ McNeilus Refuse/Garbage Trucks

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RECYCLING Shrimp and crab shells, or chitosan, can be used to relieve strain on stormwater systems and prevent erosion and pollution.

Stewardship R&D committee. This research came out of a combination of what’s needed in all three of these areas: chitosan is everywhere, but there are not many large-scale uses for it, so it’s often dumped back into the sea. Recycled rubber is similarly underutilized, owing to processing difficulties associated with its inability to melt like plastics. Finally, steering rainwater down into the ground and preventing it from running across waterproof, impermeable surfaces is a major goal of water quality management in any developed area.

The material we’ve been studying is novel because of the waste materials it’s based on, and also because of the manner in which it is processed. Most permeable pavements are either made by mixing concrete with less cement than is necessary to fill all the voids between the gravel particles, or by mixing some kind of aggregate with an epoxy that glues it all together. In our work, we combine a solution of chitosan dissolved in vinegar with the crumb rubber and let the vinegar evaporate. Because the material cures through evaporation rather than a chemical reaction, we obtain very different results depending on whether we begin with a high concentration of chitosan or a low one. This provides an extra dimension of control: not only can anyone prepare these materials using nothing more than a mixing bowl and a wooden spoon, one can achieve

everything from a strong, almost impermeable material to a weak, highly porous final product using the exact same starting ingredients.

What made this project extraordinary was that it was largely carried out by two undergraduate research assistants: Brooke Marion and Kayla Snyder. They both spent summers and time between classes working with me in the lab, while at the same time completing combined Arts and Science degrees at Lakehead. It took more than a year for Marion and Snyder to perform all the necessary experiments, and a lot of “MacGyver-ing” to make everything happen on the shoestring research budget that comes with a new campus like Lakehead’s. Raw materials were donated by industrial partners, and all the equipment used to test mechanical properties, filter properties, how water moved through the samples, etc., was homemade on a budget of about $50. The research was carried out in teaching labs in between classes, so it took a long time to piece it all together. Finally, when all the work was finished, it was presented it to a meeting of the Canadian Association of Physicists in 2013 and submitted to Construction and Building Materials.

Chris Murray is an assistant professor at Lakehead University.

He can be reached at cmurray1@lakeheadu.ca

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ENERGY RECOVERY

by John Foden “It appears that the future for advanced energy recovery/W2E systems may be full of opportunity.

The plastics industry has the numbers to prove it.”

W2E raising its profile Poll shows 66 percent support energy recovery

E

ight years ago, the plastics industry hosted a watershed forum W2E technology is safe and sustainable, as the advanced systems are seen for those with an interest in energy recovery and waste-to-energy in a favourable light by 69 per cent of Canadians, ahead of natural gas (59 (W2E) applications. The goal at the time was to ascertain whether per cent support), oil (37 per cent), nuclear (34 per cent), and coal (19 per it would be possible to organize stakeholders and coordinate messages cent). Only solar (90 per cent) and wind (75 per cent) ranked higher. When in a way that would educate and inform policymakers and municipalities combined with the knowledge that Canadians would rather see material on the merits of the latest generation W2E technologies. treated in an ER/EFW facility than a landfill, it becomes quite clear that Some skeptics left early, arguing that “Canadians aren’t ready for ER/EFW offers a preferential way to manage waste. this.” A few intrepid souls stuck around to hear more and they agreed Fourth, there is a discernible difference in opinion of about six per cent to commit to a modest investment in promotions and advocacy. Less between the genders, with 92 per cent of women likely to say they would than a decade later — with a shared vision and a coordinated outreach prefer non-recyclable plastics go to an energy recovery/W2E facility. This campaign — the industry has grown by about 200 per cent. is significant because, having attended hundreds of public meetings across Evidently, Canadians were ready the country as head of the Canadian for energy recovery and W2E. Resource Recovery Council, it is my Now, in another landmark deexperience that it is the moms who velopment, the Canadian Plastics typically raise complaints about the Industry Association (CPIA) risks to children and neighbourplastics industry has commissioned hoods. Clearly, this view not shared the first poll in more than six years widely among the broader communto ascertain Canadian opinions ity, and it is important for proponents about this progressive technology. and politicians to understand this if The poll is important for many new projects are expected to reflect reasons, not the least of which is genuine community values. because after working with outdated Fifth, there appears to be a strong data for too long the energy recovgenerational shift that portends ery/W2E industry finally has accurgrowth and expansion for the energy ate numbers to work with for planrecovery/W2E industry in Canada.

There is a strong generational shift that portends growth and expansion for W2E ning purposes. If you can’t manage While treating non-recyclable plaswhat you don’t measure then only now does the industry have a unique tics in an energy recovery/W2E plant has solid support in all age groups, opportunity to proactively and rigorously engage public opinion. ranging from a low of 86 per cent among the 65+ set, we also know that These numbers offer a few other important insights. energy recovery/W2E is a preferred option for about eighty-nine percent First, it shows that Canadian attitudes are consistent across the coun- (89 per cent) of young people (ages 18-34). With advances in operational try, with two-thirds (66 per cent) of the citizenry holding a favourable efficiencies, improved emissions performance in advanced systems, eleopinion of energy recovery/W2E technologies. Drilling down a little vated recycling rates in energy recovery/W2E jurisdictions, and increased deeper, it also shows that an overwhelming 89 per cent of Canadians technological adoption by progressive municipalities like Edmonton and prefer that non-recyclable plastics go to an energy recovery/W2E facil- Metro Vancouver, this support will only increase in the future. ity rather than landfill. This support holds steady across geography, ranThis matters because young people today are uniquely unafraid of ging from a low of 85 per cent in Quebec, rising to 87 per cent in B.C., new technologies; and because they are plugged into social media and 88 per cent in Alberta, 90 per cent in Ontario, 92 per cent in Atlantic the internet 24/7 they are also infinitely more likely to exchange inforCanada, and finally 94 per cent in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. This mation than ever before. This study tells the industry what they think means that no one region of the country is more likely to support an and with that the industry is significantly better positioned to promote energy recovery/W2E solution than any other, so regardless where the projects in enlightened communities and educate policymakers and poldebate arises, energy recovery/W2E adoption is a political winner. iticians about the advantages of energy recovery/W2E technology.

Second, 63 per cent of respondents indicated they would support the So it appears that the future for advanced energy recovery/W2E sysuse of energy recovery/W2E in their immediate community. This not tems may be full of opportunity. The plastics industry has the numbers only shows considerable commitment to the technology, but affirms the to prove it. notion that energy recovery/W2E is a politically viable alternative for all municipalities.

John Foden is president of the Canadian Resource Recovery Council in Third, the poll shows that Canadians understand that energy recovery/ Toronto. He can be reached at jpfoden@presterjohn.ca February/March 2015 www.solidwastemag.com 41

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

by Rosalind Cooper, L.L.B. “A landfill ban might be appropriate for this waste stream, along with incentives and programs to ensure that banned waste is put to productive use.”

Regulatory News Across Canada Manitoba Aims to Divert Waste

T

he Manitoba government released a discussion paper in December that outlined possible initiatives to reduce waste by 50 per cent by 2020, with the ultimate objective of making Manitoba a zerowaste province. Manitoba has not been as successful as other provinces in terms of its waste diversion record. In 2010, Manitoba residents disposed of 770 kilograms of waste per person, which is above the national average of 730 kilograms per person and almost double that of certain provinces such as Nova Scotia, where residents dispose of 389 kilograms of waste per person.

The discussion paper entitled Recycling and Waste Reduction: A Discussion Paper, focuses on disposal bans, which have been very effective in Nova Scotia, where certain products and organics are banned from landfills and stewardship programs are in place to manage these materials. The discussion paper suggests that an organics program, along with a landfill ban, would assist Manitoba in meeting its 50 per cent reduction goal on the basis that 40 per cent of the province’s residential waste and 30 per cent of its institutional, commercial and industrial waste are organic materials that could be composted.

The discussion paper also refers to construction-demolition waste, which currently makes up between 20-30 per cent of all waste in Manitoba. The paper suggests that a landfill ban might be appropriate for this waste stream, along with incentives and programs to ensure that banned waste is put to productive use.

The discussion paper also suggests additional extended producer responsibility programs. There are currently 13 such programs operating in Manitoba and the paper suggests that 16 additional product categories could be candidates for programs. The discussion paper is open for public comment until March 20, 2015.

Waste Diversion Ontario Reviews Stewardship Plans The Industry Stewardship Plan submitted to Waste Diversion Ontario

by Call2Recycle Canada for single use batteries in Ontario has been rejected after being considered for approximately 18 months by Waste Diversion Ontario.

Call2Recycle’s plan proposed altering the method by which processors are selected. The current program, operated by Stewardship Ontario, pays an incentive to processors that meet its criteria. Call2Recycle proposed moving to an open RFP process, but Waste Diversion Ontario viewed this as a significant disruption of the current marketplace for the collection and processing of batteries.

In contrast, Product Care Association, which is a company out of British Columbia, received approval from Waste Diversion Ontario for its Industry Stewardship Plan for paint and coatings. The program is targeted to commence in June of 2015. Product Care Association is a multi-material organization operating programs recovering many items including paint and household appliances in provinces from British Columbia to Newfoundland and Labrador. Product Care Association’s

plan did not involve any marketplace changes because it involved using the same service providers and the same collection, transport and processing standards. It also involved using the same procurement methods as the current program operator, Stewardship Ontario, was using.

Product Care Association also intends to extend the program to include non-pesticide marine coatings, all paint and coatings and aerosol containers, as well as introduce a paint reuse program whereby municipalities would be reimbursed for offering their residents free, highquality paint at local municipal depots.

Saskatchewan Multi-Material Recycling Saskatchewan recently announced plans to implement its province-wide multi-material recycling program, which is a cost-sharing program between businesses and municipalities to pay for collection and recycling of household packaging and paper materials.

Currently, municipal recycling programs are paid for by municipalities but, under the multi-material recycling program, businesses and organizations that distribute packaged goods and papers to households will share responsibility for the cost of recycling the materials.

The Household Packaging and Paper Stewardship Program Regulations under the Environmental Management and Protection Act, 2002, requires businesses that distribute or sell packaging and paper products in Saskatchewan to participate in the multi-material recycling program.

Small businesses, including newspapers, that have a gross revenue of less than $2 million, or generate less than one tonne of packaging and paper, or operate as a single point-of-sale (rather than a franchise or chain), are fully exempt from participating in the program. A twoyear temporary transition exemption will apply to businesses with annual revenue between $2 million to five million. These businesses will not be required to report their tonnage of household packaging and paper during this period but will be required to register with the nonprofit organization that will be operating the program, Multi-Material Stewardship Western Inc., and contribute a $500 annual flat fee.

Stewardship Ontario Loses Arbitration After a lengthy arbitration proceeding, Stewardship Ontario has been ordered to pay Ontario municipalities approximately $115 million dollars for their role in operating residential blue box programs in 2014.

This amounts to about $20 million dollars more than Stewardship Ontario had proposed to pay municipalities. Under the Waste Diversion Act, municipalities are entitled to 50 per cent of the total net costs incurred by municipalities. The dispute arose because of the methodology proposed by Stewardship Ontario to calculate net costs and the disagreement by municipalities with that methodology.

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

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WA S T E B U S I N E S S : B I O S O L I D S

Fertilizing the Prairies Workers inspect a land application demonstration site next to an injector vehicle.

City sought alternative solution after experiencing odour issues from landfilling dewatered Class B biosolids

PHOTO Robert Palmese.

by Kevin Litwiller “The new biosolids management system allows the city to divert biosolids from its landfill and convert them into a nutrient-rich, Class A quality fertilizer.”

A

Lystek reactor

n advanced, award-winning biosolids management system developed by Lystek International Inc. has been delivered on budget and ahead of schedule in North Battleford, Sask.

Through a competitive request-for-proposals process, the City selected the Cambridge, Ont.-based Lystek system because it was affordable, environmentally-friendly and compact enough to easily retrofit the city’s existing plant using proven thermal hydrolysis technology.

A covered lagoon will be used to store the liquid fertilizer product produced at Lystek’s $3.2-million facility, which started production in November 2014. The LysteGro biofertilizer product is set to be available for the fall 2015 farming application season.

The city began looking for an alternative biosolids management solution after it began experiencing odour issues with its practice of landfilling dewatered Class B biosolids.

As one of the first municipalities in Western Canada to adopt this biosolids system, Stewart Schafer, the North Battleford’s director of operations, stated that wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) biosolids should be “considered a resource and not a liability.”

Lystek says each year over 10 million dry tonnes of bio-organic waste is generated in Canada and the U.S. alone. Historically, about 75 per cent of this material has been landfilled, applied to land or incinerated.

February/March 2015 www.solidwastemag.com 43

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WA S T E B U S I N E S S : B I O S O L I D S North Battleford Biosolids facility.

“We are thrilled to be working with the community of North Battleford as we expand our industry-leading solutions into Saskatchewan and across North America.We look forward to working with the City to showcase our proven technology at the open house event we are planning together for later this spring.” — Litwiller

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

www.municipalwaste.ca

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Converting biosolids into a commercial fertilizer high in organic matter is a win-win for both the city and local farmers, says Schafer.

The new biosolids management system allows the city to divert biosolids from its landfill and convert them into a nutrient-rich, Class A quality fertilizer registered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The process involves a combination of heat, alkali and high shear mixing which boosts the ph and kills pathogens.

Known as LysteGro, the fertilizer is already in high demand because it’s pathogen-free, high in nutrients and organic matter, and far more cost effective than chemical alternatives. The fertilizer product is expected to help the city generate revenue and help offset costs.

Higher organic matter levels in the fertilizer mean farmers can worry less about overapplication, which has been an issue on some farms in the past.

In 2013, the Water Security Agency mandated that North Battleford have a new biosolids management solution in place by no later than November of 2015. At the time, the city was burying the biosolids in the landfill, which was presenting other problems.

Mike Dougherty, Lystek’s manager of fertilizer production and distribution for Lystek, explained that the company works with local farmers, soil and crop specialists and land application professionals to ensure the soil is tested prior to application and that the product is utilized properly. Generally speaking, this is done at about 3,000 gallons per acre. Because the fertilizer is injected several inches into the soil, there is almost no odour.

Kevin Litwiller is Lystek’s director of business development. He can be reached at kevinl@lystek.com.

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Advertisers’ Index Company

OWMA AD

Page #

Company

February/March 2015

Page #

2cg/Paul van der Werf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Heil Environmental Solutions Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

ALLU Group Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Jenmar Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

BioGas Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

London Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Change Energy Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Machinex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Clean River Inventive Recycling Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Mack Trucks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Cummins Westport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Municipal Waste Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Doppstadt/Ecoverse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

National Energy Equipment Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Drive Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Ontario Waste Management Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Environmental Business Consultants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Paradigm Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Envirowirx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Trux Route Management Systems Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Eriez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Van Dyk Recycling Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

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Freightliner Trucks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Walinga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

GazMétro Transport Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Waste Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Ontario Waste Management Association

Who’s standing up for Your Business?

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 February/March 2015 www.solidwastemag.com 45

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BLOG

by Usman Valiante “Critically, there is a disconnect between producers that introduce difficultto-recycle materials and municipalities that actually process them.”

Shared vs. full Has Ontario’s approach to EPR for printed paper and packaging had its day?

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n Ontario, municipal curbside recycling for printed paper and packIndividual municipal processing systems acting independently aging, otherwise known as the Blue Box program, was established in means duplication of material recycling facilities’ capital, higher fixed the mid-1980s with seed capital funding from producers. It became costs, poorer economies of scale and marketing of smaller batches of the first jurisdiction in the world to have such a program. materials, thus forgoing potentially higher prices in secondary materials The Blue Box program was expected to be self-financing with revmarkets, which provide more revenue to offset system costs. enues from recyclable materials covering municipal operating costs. But Conversely, larger volume material recycling facilities with attendit soon became evident that Blue Box operations posed an ongoing and ant economies of scale can sensibly make larger capital investments uncertain financial burden to municipalities because of fluctuating comin intensive sorting (i.e. optical sorting of plastics and glass) and promodity markets. cessing technologies that can address the changing composition of the So began a long and heated debate about what producers’ responstream of recyclable materials. sibilities should be. Over the next decade-and-a Another factor driving inefficiency is that -half, a number of industry proposals for funding where producers are regulated to recycling targets the Blue Box arose, but none saw fruition in law. and municipalities actually deliver printed paper With the passage of the provincial Waste Diversion and packaging collection and processing, the reguAct in 2002, the financial responsibility for coverlated party has little or no ability to effect changes ing the costs of operating municipal Blue Box prothat will result in the targets being met. In Ontario grams became “shared” 50-50 between municipalresidential collection and recycling rates are stagities and industry. nant at just over 60 per cent.

This cost-based regulatory requirement for 50 Critically, there is a disconnect between proper cent recycling payments has led to an inevitable ducers that introduce difficult-to-recycle materials dispute between Stewardship Ontario (the producer and municipalities that actually process them. This compliance organization) and Ontario municipalities results in processing inefficiency and misallocaregarding the question of what exactly constitutes 50 tion of municipal processing investment against an per cent. Is it 50 per cent of the actual costs incurred incoming stream of recyclable materials that is of by a municipality delivering the Blue Box program or, uncertain composition and continuously changing. is it 50 per cent of “reasonable” costs incurred?

This producer-municipal disconnect also prevents If we want the transformation of existing The Ontario dispute over what is 50 per cent is feedback to producers on the relative impacts of production and recycling systems that is borne what led to arbitration that ended with a decision of innovation, then perhaps it is time to give new their packaging choices. consideration to the principled application of on Nov. 25, 2014. The result of the arbitration was At the core of this conception is the idea that extended producer responsibility. that the total net costs incurred by municipalities is the end-of-life supply chain for recovering and relimited by the requirement that those costs be reasonable. cycling printed paper and packaging is a business system and thus falls This now leaves Stewardship Ontario and Ontario municipalities to under the same discipline as the business systems that design, manufacnegotiate a mechanism to determine what is reasonable – a daunting task ture, distribute and sell consumer products. that will surely be fraught with conflict.

This is about much more than producer financial responsibility. It Increasing producer funding of Ontario’s existing approach to printis about producer self-determinacy and the discretion to design reverse ed paper and packaging recycling is economically inefficient, in that it supply chains for recovering, reusing and recycling products and packwill neither achieve optimal environmental outcomes nor lowest cost. aging. Implicit is the commercial freedom to work collaboratively with The basis for this inefficiency is that there is no overall system of municipalities and the private recycling industry rather than under rules recycling in Ontario – each municipal recycling system is self-contained set out by government fiat. with little or no coordination with other municipal recycling systems Shared responsibility for printed-paper and packaging had its day in and, most importantly, with no connection to the producers whose packOntario. If we want the transformation of existing production and recycaging they manage. ling systems that is borne of innovation, then perhaps it’s time to give Where municipal Blue Box programs have realized efficiencies by new consideration to the principled application of EPR. optimizing the collection, consolidation, processing and marketing of materials, it is only optimized in the context of that municipality, but not Usman Valiante is a senior policy analyst with Corporate Policy Group across the province.

LLP. He can be reached at valiante@corporatepolicygroup.com 46 www.solidwastemag.com February/March 2015

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