Jo-Anne St. GodardExecutive Director

Recycling Council of Ontario

April 2010

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o Share information about the Recycling Council of Ontario – our mandate and work

o Discuss the issue of waste generation in Canada, the environmental and economic impacts

o Present Canada and Ontario’s waste generation and disposal challenges

o Explain Ontario’s waste-related legislation

o Look at Canada’s waste management policy trends over the last few years

o Explore what waste management may look like in the future in Ontario

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o Not-for-profit, non-government, membership-based environmental organization

o Mandate is to inform and educate society about waste generation, waste reduction guided by the 3Rs hierarchy, more efficient use of resources and the benefits and/or consequences of these activities

o Members represent a variety of stakeholders including municipalities, manufacturers, brand owners, material processors, industry associations, businesses, other NGOs, academics, consultants, and other ‘sister’ provincial organizations

o Funding comes from government grants, events, membership, research funding, and corporate sponsors

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o Celebrating over 30 years (incorporated in 1978)

o Instrumental in developing Ontario’s Blue Box Program (25 years old – diverts 60% of residential packaging)

o United Nations Environmental Award (1989)

o Only environmental, not-for-profit organization, appointed by the Minister to Waste Diversion Ontario, consulting with the government of Ontario on the development of Extended Producer Responsibility programs

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Our work involves:o conducting research and sharing informationo supporting the development of effective waste reduction

policies and programso leading the implementation and application of policieso forming partnershipso operating waste reduction services and programs

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Programso Waste Reduction Week in Canada (www.wrwcanada.com)

o Take Back the Light (www.takebackthelight.ca)

o Waste Free Lunch Challenge (www.wastefreelunch.com)

o Ontario Waste Minimization Awards

o Waste Audit Consulting Services

Projectso Zero Waste Community Events Toolkit

o Reusable Bag Loyalty Project

o Construction Renovation and Demolition Waste Management Case Studies6

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o The environmental cost of waste generation or disposal is not accounted for in the price of goods or services; this is a global issue. o Cost of impacts from production to disposal not included in the priceo Society/tax payers are faced with the impacts

o Disposing of waste in landfill has short-term and long-term impactso Loss of valuable lando Loss of valuable materials for reuse in manufacturing processeso Groundwater contamination o Release of GHG emissions

o Following the 3Rs hierarchy presents environmental benefitso Less energy, pollutants and virgin materials consumed if products are reused or recycled

o Avoiding the generation of waste and diverting waste from disposal are key to environmental protection and combating climate change.

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o Waste also represents inefficiencies in our economy, for instance the unnecessary:o production of GHG emissionso release of pollutants during production – using recycled paper pulp significantly

reduces the chemicals necessary to produce paper from virgin materialso consumption of limited resources – materials and energy

o If Canada continues on the path it is headed, it is estimated that approximately $25 billion worth of recyclable materials would be sent to disposal from 2008 to 2033.

o Diverting waste from disposal also results in jobs associated with environmental protection; more jobs are created in the processing of waste, than disposal.

o In 2006, Canadians generated ~ 1,072 kg/ person of municipal solid waste, up 8% from 2004.

o 835 kg/person of this waste was disposed!o A total of 35 million tonnes generated per year and

only 7.7 million tonnes was diverted through recycling or composting programs.

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o The national diversion rate in 2006 was 22%, the same as in 2004. o Diversion rates differ by sector, and by province/territory.

o The residential sector leads with the highest diversion rate

o Nova Scotia has the highest diversion rate, approx. 40%, much higher than the national average

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Ontario 2004 2006

Tonnes disposed 9.8 M 10.4 M

Per capita disposal 810 kg 820 kg

Provincial overall diversion rate 19.8% 22%

o Of the 12 million tonnes of waste generated by Ontario ~80% is disposed (landfilled or incinerated).

o The majority of the waste is sent to landfill in Ontario, though 30% of waste is disposed outside this province.

o Ontario’s overall diversion rate is the same as the national average; it increased in 2006 from 20% to 22%.

o The diversion rate for the residential sector is 37% and the industrial, commercial and institutional (IC&I) sector is 12%.

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Canadao The federal government has jurisdiction over toxic substances and the

international movement of wasteo Each province/territory has jurisdiction over most waste-related policy decisions

o As a result, diversion rates and legislation/programs differ

o Most provinces/territories have mandated local governments as the managers of waste programs and only make overarching decisionso For example, mandatory recycling of certain materials

Ontarioo The Ontario provincial government sets laws to guide the management of

waste and encourage diversion.o Ontario municipalities determine residential recycling and disposal

operations. o Municipalities have unique diversion targets/ programso Municipalities focus on household wasteo IC&I waste is managed by private haulers and the diversion rates differ drastically

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Waste Managemento Part V of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) focuses on approvals,

enforcement and compliance for waste management practices (e.g. hauling waste, landfills)

o Regulation 347, of the EPA defines, designates and exempts wasteso Hazardous wastes need to managed in an environmentally responsible manner, by

certified waste haulers and needs to be tracked through the province’s Hazardous Waste Information Network.

Residential Sector: Pollution Prevention & Waste Diversiono Waste recycling - 3Rs regulations under the EPA require municipalities (over 5,000

ppl.) to divert specific wastes for recycling/compostingo Diversion programs & stewardship - The Waste Diversion Act, 2002 established

four diversion programs, which are funded (at least partially) by the producers of the material (brand owners / first importers):o Blue Box Program o Municipal Hazardous or Special Waste Programo Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Program o Used Tires Program

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IC&I Sector: Pollution Prevention & Waste Diversion o EPA Regulation 102/94, Waste Audits and Waste Reduction Plans –

applies to buildings that are 10,000 sq.m. of floor use as offices.o EPA Regulation 103/94, IC&I Source Separation Programs - applies to

the same buildings, requires source separation programs for the waste generated at the building.

o Producer-funded Diversion Programs - Used tires, waste electronics and electrical waste, as well as some municipal hazardous and special wastes can be recycled through producer-funded diversion programs for waste generated by all sectors.

o Businesses/companies have a heightened awareness of the environmental footprint. o High on the public/policy list of prioritieso Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is becoming an increasingly popular policy

approach:o “EPR means an environmental policy approach in which a producer’s responsibility for a product

is extended to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle.” - Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME)

o EPR has the potential to reduce environmental impacts of waste and support more sustainable waste management systems.

o The provinces and territories are working to harmonize EPR policies

o Provinces and territories have also begun to realize the IC&I waste opportunityo EPR programs broaden scope – include waste generated by all sectorso Voluntary programs (awards, education) - to support the IC&I sector in improving diversion

o Other approaches to reduce the impact of disposal include:o Disposal levieso Mandatory landfill gas capture systems

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o Ontario is a leader in EPR policy & is continuing to lead with new proposed policy approaches.

o The Ontario government just completed a review of the Waste Diversion Act o Key piece of legislation that promotes waste reduction, reuse and recycling and

provides the authority to establish EPR-based waste diversion programs

o In the review, the government proposed a number of new progressive policy approaches:o Full EPR - both IC&I and residential waste, and 100% of program costso individual producer responsibilityo Disposal bans – to ensure materials that can diverted do not end up in landfill o Disposal levies - address economic disparaties between disposal and diversion

o The proposed approach would set a framework for waste management similar to jurisdictions who have achieved highest diversion rates.

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Issues that may affect waste management and recycling into the future1) Geography – value of land 2) Energy

Costs to extract resources and manufacture goods The costs to ship goods (global to local consumption – packaging The costs to ship wastes

3) Consumption and Consumerism Buying local Buying environmental – Consumer conscious Big Business CSR (committing and driving sustainable practices)

Jo-Anne St. GodardExecutive Director

Recycling Council of Ontariojoanne@rco.on.ca

416-657-2797

www.rco.on.ca

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