CURRENT NEWS
March 2, 2007
Frequently Asked Questions About IC&I Waste
Issue Recap:
Last summer, Council directed staff to carry out an Industrial,
Commercial and Institutional (IC&I) Waste Strategy involving stakeholders,
within a period of one year. The purpose of the Strategy is to identify how the
City can influence, facilitate or direct increased diversion of IC&I waste from
landfill. In carrying out this work, consideration is given to how technologies
can contribute to improved management of IC&I waste.
Once Council adopts the Strategy, in late 2007, the City will
establish IC&I diversion goals and identify measures through which the City can
achieve them. The costs and timing for implementation of these measures will be
identified and the impact on long-term residual waste disposal and the projected
life of area landfills will also be highlighted.
During the initial consultation process, from November 2006 to
January 2007, for the scoping of the study a number of concerns emerged
regarding inadequate time for input on the development of the scoping document.
As a result the scoping report was delayed to allow for further consultation and
was rescheduled for committee and Council in March 2007.
The purpose of this report, Scoping of the Industrial, Commercial
and Institutional 3R Strategy, is to summarize the results of consultations,
outline the proposed scope of work for the IC&I 3R (reuse, recycle and reduce)
Strategy, and obtain Council approval to proceed with the project as proposed.
Questions and Answers
Q: What is industrial, commercial and institutional (IC&I)
waste?
A: Whether at work or at home, we all generate waste. Businesses and
institutions – such as schools, offices, and restaurants – are responsible for
the management of their own waste and they use private contractors for waste
management. This group is called the industrial, commercial and institutional
(IC&I) sector.
Construction and demolition (C&D) waste is included in the
current study as it also represents a significant portion of the non-residential
waste stream.
Q: Do municipalities have a mandate to regulate IC&I and C&D
waste?
A: No. The Province has the mandate to regulate IC&I waste generators. IC&I
and C&D waste represents approximately 70% of the solid waste going to
landfills. City staff is working with these sectors to develop an IC&I 3R
strategy for Ottawa, by identifying ways to divert IC&I waste from landfills,
and exploring how alternative technologies could be used.
Q: What percentage of Ottawa’s waste is residential or
household and how much is generated by industry?
A: Ottawa generates approximately 70% of its waste at the workplace. The
remaining 30% is residential waste.
In Ontario, an average of 33% of the residential waste is being
diverted from landfills through recycling and composting, as opposed to only
about 17-22% of workplace waste.
Since the City is not responsible for managing IC&I or C&D waste,
it is difficult to determine precisely how much of these wastes are currently
diverted in Ottawa.
Q: Does the City need a stronger diversion strategy?
A: Yes, landfills are nearing capacity throughout Ontario, and new or
expanded facilities are not only costly, but also increasingly unacceptable to
the public and difficult to locate. Ottawa will have a landfill disposal
shortfall within 11 years unless further action is taken to do more to increase
diversion, expand landfills, or implement other processing and disposal methods.
Launched last spring, the City’s RETHINK GARBAGE campaign is an
education and awareness program that asks residents to ‘rethink’ their attitudes
towards garbage, from how much they generate, to their choices for disposal. By
encouraging residents to make better use of existing waste diversion programs,
the City aims to increase residential diversion from 33% to 40%.
The City has plans to introduce a curbside organics program in
2008. This program is expected to improve diversion rate to the provincial
target of 60%.
As Ottawa makes progress towards achieving its residential
target, attention is turning to the IC&I waste stream. The City is asking what
more can be done within the IC&I sector and what role the City can play to
improve the diversion of all types of waste from local landfills.
Q: How is the City developing the IC&I Waste Management
Strategy?
A: As the first step toward developing a Waste Management Strategy the City
has begun studying the IC&I sector waste.
The study seeks to answer the following questions:
 How much, and
what types of wastes are being generated?
How much is being
diverted from landfill at present, and how?
Can waste
generation be reduced, and how?
Can more waste be
diverted, and how?
What role should
the City play in facilitating increased IC&I and C&D waste
diversion (3R’s)?
The City continues to seek input from the IC&I and C&D sectors,
as well as citizens. This project includes significant consultation with
stakeholders, including: businesses and institutions - such as schools, offices,
and restaurants, solid waste haulers processing and disposal facilities,
business and sector associations, and citizens.
Q: What diversion services does the City provide to residents?
A: Currently, the City provides the following diversion (recycling) services
to residents;
Blue and Black Box recycling;
Leaf and yard waste pickup;
Backyard Composting;
Take-it-Back! Program;
Household Hazardous Waste Depots;
E-Waste Depot;
Compost Plus organics pilot project;
Yellow Bag program for small businesses; and
Rethink Garbage Campaign.
Bin delivery and replacement services.
Diverting waste benefits the environment and municipal taxpayers
by reducing greenhouse gases, reducing demands for natural resources, and
generating revenue. $7.4 million was generated through the sale of blue and
black box recyclable materials and compost material sales in 2006.
Q: What role does the City play in managing landfill sites?
A: The City has a legislated mandate to provide solid waste collection and
diversion (recycling) for the residential sector only.
The province maintains responsibility for overall waste
management, including waste diversion for the IC&I sector.
The City of Ottawa manages the collection of municipal solid
waste from residential households and some small non-residential establishments
through a combination of public and private waste collection service providers.
Q. How many landfills are located in the Ottawa area and what
type of waste do they receive?
A: The City owns two landfills, one at Trail Road (located in former City of
Nepean) and the other at Springhill, (located in the former Township of Osgoode.)
Trail Road Waste Facility receives two-thirds of the
City’s residential waste.
Springhill Landfill receives residential, C&D and
contaminated soils.
Carp Landfill is privately owned by Waste Management Corp.
of Canada and receives IC&I waste, some C&D waste and one-third of the City’s
residential waste.
Navan Landfill is privately owned by Waste Services Inc. (WSI)
and receives only dry IC&I and C&D waste.
The Moose Creek Landfill is owned by Laflèche
Environmental Inc. Located outside of Ottawa in Moose Creek, this site receives
residential, IC&I and C&D waste, amounting to 1 per cent of total City waste.
Q: Why is the City getting involved in IC&I when it is a
provincial responsibility?
A: Under the direction of Council, staff is investigating and exploring new
methods and technologies that could ease the burden that future tonnes of
household and commercial garbage place on local landfills. This includes
searching for new ways to divert commercial and industrial waste, as well as
improving household diversion through current recycling and municipal compost
programs.
The current project scope looks at a wide range of potential
roles the City could assume with respect to the management of IC&I waste. It
will also evaluate ways that the City could influence, facilitate, or direct
change in accordance with existing legislated authority with from other levels
of government.
Council has directed staff to investigate the City’s role in
maintaining and increasing pressure on other levels of government to lead change
and enforce legislation.
The discussion paper, resulting from this report, will identify
the full range of options available to the City including:
Identifying areas
where Ottawa can lobby provincial and federal jurisdictions;
Possible options to influence outcomes in waste regulation and enforcement;
Investigate unilateral and partnership opportunities;
Identify the costs and benefits of all options;
Highlight opportunities and barriers to successful diversion strategies; and
Evaluate potential impact on landfill capacity in the City.
Q: What are the next steps in the public consultation process?
A: Phase 1: Once approved by Committee and Council, this report is the first
step and defines the overall project scope. It is aimed to increase awareness of
the project and to solicit input on the scope of the project, including the
questions that should be answered and the outcomes to be achieved.
Phase 2: Identifying and Assessing IC&I Waste Management Options
The objective of this round of consultation will be to present options for
improving IC&I waste diversion, and to obtain input on the costs, the benefits,
and the viability of those options.
Phase 3: Developing the IC&I Waste Management Strategy
This round of consultation have open stakeholder discussions regarding
short-listed actions, and to reflect public feedback and address those concerns
in a final document to be considered by Ottawa City Council. This round of
consultation will begin in late spring 2007 and it is expected that the draft
strategy will be available for consultation in June 2007 and finalized in fall
2007.
Q: Is the City looking into new waste processing and disposal
technologies?
A: Last year the City issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI)
for Waste Technologies and ten submissions were received.
A review of Waste Disposal Technologies is being completed in
parallel to the IC&I 3R Strategy and will seek approved by Council this spring.
The review will assess a long list of disposal technologies, and
recommend a short-list of technologies considered suitable for Ottawa’s waste
needs. Gasification, as well as landfilling, will automatically be included on
the list, as the City has interests in these technologies.
Q: How much will the IC&I 3R Strategy cost?
A: The City does not currently manage IC&I and construction and demolition
C&D waste except in insignificant quantities collected through the Yellow Bag
Program for businesses and other residential programs. Any increased involvement
in the management of IC&I will have financial implications. It is anticipated
that the majority of options will require new monies to implement.
A number of scope changes were recommended as a result of
consultations. The aim of these changes is to increase public participation and
improve data collection and will cost approximately $25,000 to implement. By
investing more money into the strategy, it will allow for more opportunity for
the industrial commercial and institutional sectors to fully participate in the
strategy. . The estimated costs associated with the scope changes recommended
are as follows:
Stakeholder Advisory Committee (organization and 3 meetings)
$15,000.00
One Day Forum $20,000.00
On-line Survey $20,000.00
Contingency $15,000.00
Total $70,000.00
The proposed costs are currently available within the approved
2006 Capital Budget (in internal order 900352 Solid Waste Long Term Planning)
and there is no additional budget impact.
Q: Does the public have input into this process?
A: Council directed that this project be completed by fall 2007, (allowing
approximately one year for its completion), and that “effective, meaningful
public consultation be undertaken in keeping with the spirit of the
Environmental Assessment Act.”
The original scope of work allowed for public consultation at all
stages of the project, but focused on meeting the needs of key stakeholder
groups, namely waste generators, haulers, processors and disposal firms since
they would be most immediately affected by any policy and program changes.
While opportunities for other groups to participate were planned,
they were not as extensive as what is currently proposed.
The following is a brief description of the elements added to
ensure that key project deliverables can benefit from greater public
consultation.
Survey –The objective of the survey will be to identify
the opportunities and constraints to increasing diversion in businesses, and to
explore the factors that would influence their likelihood to accept and
implement voluntary or regulatory controls.
Stakeholder Advisory Committee – The study team would meet
with this group at key milestones in the project to obtain their input.
Membership is recommended as follows:
2 reps – one each from the citizen coalitions operating in the
East and West of the City;
2 reps – City’s Environmental Advisory Committee;
2 reps – City’s Business Advisory Committee;
4 reps – Major waste generators representing key waste streams;
2 reps – Waste service providers;
2 reps – City staff; and
2 reps – Consultant team.
One Day Forum – This event would be held following release
of the Discussion Paper and would provide a venue to discuss the full range of
waste issues facing the City and look at how the proposed options may influence
other areas of the economy.
These additional points of contact with key stakeholder groups
will help to ensure appropriate levels of consultation and input. With the
inclusion of the above elements, the review will be completed with a final
report tabled by year-end 2007.
Q: How has the scoping report changed as a result of the
public consultations?
A: Based upon the comments resulting from the public consultation, the focus
of this study remains on determining how best to reduce IC&I waste going to
landfill through implementation of 3R initiatives.
The following tasks represent the recommended scope of the IC&I
3R Strategy review:
- Validate the characteristics of the current IC&I and
Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste for the City – by estimating the
existing volumes and types of waste that are generated, diverted and
disposed;
- Identify waste streams with greatest need and identity
opportunities to reduce, reuse and recycle;
- Examine regulatory controls at all three levels of
government;
- Identify a long list of waste management tools and best
practices used elsewhere to reduce, reuse and recycle IC&I waste;
- Assess how waste technologies can improved diversion;
- Estimate the volume of waste that each method could
divert;
- Assess in greater detail the social, economic and
environmental impacts of short-listed methods, including their feasibility
and the time required to effect full implementation;
- Consult with key stakeholders and the public at key
points during the study, which now includes a Stakeholder Advisory
Committee, a one day Forum and an on-line survey; and
- Provide Council with a recommended list of measures for
potential adoption and implementation in the form of an IC&I 3R Strategy
within the stipulated one-year timeframe.
The recommended revised scope allows for completion of the
review and a report to Council by year-end 2007.
Contact:
Departmental Lead/Spokesperson: Ken Brothers, Director of Utility Services
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