City of Cornwall

Solid Waste Management Master Plan

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Presentation Overview

• Development of the Solid Waste Management Master Plan

• Current Solid Waste System• Waste Composition and Generation• Waste Management Legislation

Impacts• Waste Management Best Practices• Public Consultation• Plan Recommendations• Proposed Implementation Schedule• Impact on Landfill Capacity• Conclusion

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Solid Waste Management Master Plan Development

• Gathered background information on the City’s existing waste management system.

Task 1: Project Initiation and Information Gathering

• Description of the City’s existing waste management system.

Task 2: Review of Existing System

• Analysis of the City’s current waste management program.

Task 3: Needs Analysis

• Range of initiatives the City could undertake to improve its waste management system performance.

Task 4: Identification of Opportunities

• Recommendations regarding which opportunities should be implemented.

Task 5: Assessment of Opportunities

Task 6: Preparation and Submission of Draft Report

Task 7: Submission of Final Report and Presentation to Council

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Solid Waste Management Master Plan Development

• The purpose of the SWMMP is to:

o Provide overall direction for the waste management system.o Address collection, processing and garbage disposal needs for

the next 20 years.o Identify opportunities to increase diversion.o Identify opportunities to reduce the amount of waste needing

disposal.

• The desired result of the SWMMP is:

o The selection of a long-term waste management system and implementation of the program components of that system.

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Current Solid Waste System

The City provides waste collection services for all single family homes, some multi-family dwellings, and some IC&I locations. The City provides:

• Waste Reduction Initiatives• Promotion and Education programs• Bi-weekly Curbside Recycling Collection• Weekly Curbside Garbage Collection• Leaf and Yard Waste Collection on

Scheduled Days• Household Special Waste Depot• Tire Recycling Depot• Scrap Metal Recycling Pad• Waste Wood Recycling Pad• One Active Landfill• One Materials Recovery Facility

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Waste Composition and Generation

• A single family non-hazardous waste audit was completed by Stantec in December 2009.

• The City manages in the order of 22,000 tonnes of residential waste per year. **

• The households audited confirmed the current waste diversion rate of 24% of those total tonnes.

1. PAPER12%

2. PAPER PACKAGING

13%

3. PLASTICS10%

4. METALS5%

5. GLASS3%

6. HOUSEHOLD

SPECIAL WASTE0%

7. ORGANICS 24%

8. OTHER MATERIALS

33%

Total Waste Produced Composition

Residential Waste Composition

• During the audit, the participation rate was 37%.

• The audit results indicate that as much as 5,000 tonnes of recyclable materials might be landfilled each year.

• The landfill received a total of 62,500 tonnes from all sources in 2009.

**does not include multi-residential garbage managed by others

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Waste Composition and Generation

IC&I Waste Generation (Tonnes) by Material Type

Sources: 2006 Statistics Canada Census labour force data for Cornwall, Kelleher Environmental. 2008.   Analysis of City of Owen Sound Waste Audit/Recycling Plan Data for Industrial, Commercial & Institutional Premises. Prepared for:  the MOE, OWMA, and the City of Owen Sound.,   RIS International Ltd.  2005.  The Private Sector IC&I Waste Management System in Ontario.  Prepared for Ontario Waste Management Association., Genivar, Kelleher Environmental and Jacques Whitford.  2007.  IC&I Waste Characterization Report, IC&I 3Rs Strategy Report. Prepared for City of Ottawa.

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Waste Management Legislation Impacts

• The City is currently meeting legislative requirements regarding diversion programming but not achieving provincial waste diversion targets (60%) or recyclable material capture targets (70%).

• There are several proposed changes to legislation that could impact the City:

o Waste Diversion Acto Blue Box Program Plan and Regulation 273/02.

• Potential legislative changes have been considered in the development of the SWMMP.

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Waste Management System Performance Objectives AchievementsBest/Better Practice Current System Performance Achieving Objective Yes/No

Comply with Ontario Regulations 101/94 and 273/02.

The City provides blue box recycling to the residential sector and accepts recyclable materials as detailed in the regulations.

ü

Comply with Waste Diversion Act The City reports annual tonnages and costs for all materials managed as required by the WDA in the WDO datacall ü

Use waste management planning principles in the Provincial Policy Statement.

The City’s waste management plan is being guided by these principles.

ü

Responsive to pending WDA/Blue Box Program Plan regulatory change.

Cornwall continues to monitor potential impacts associated with these regulatory changes.

ü

Implement Green Procurement Policies/Influence Federal/Provincial Regulations

These policies are in place.ü

Provide a recycling program that collects a variety of materials.

Cornwall accepts 13 of the 17 commonly collected materials streams.

ü

Achieve a 5% residue target from recyclable materials processing at the MRF. Residue rate = 3.4% (2008 WDO Datacall)

ü

Increase the IC&I participation rate in recycling programs (municipal or private).

24.7% participation in municipal curbside recycling collection program (2008). Number of IC&I facilities with private recycling collection are unknown.

ü

Maintain recycling program costs that are similar or lower than those of other municipalities.

In 2007, the program cost/household for Cornwall was $22.50 (Small Urban category median was $38.62).

ü

Effectively marketing recyclable materials with a good marketing strategy in place.

Cornwall’s contractor has obtained above average prices for most materials.

ü

Encourage multi-residential buildings to follow the recycling program as stipulated in Reg. 101/94.

Approximately 59% of multi-family dwelling units receive collection through an agreement with the City.

ü

Operate a Municipal Hazardous Special Waste (MHSW) Depot.

Cornwall operates a MHSW Depot at the landfill on scheduled Saturdays and Wednesdays.

ü

Operate a Waste Electronic & Electrical Equipment (WEEE) Depot. WEEE materials are collected at the MHSW Depots.

ü

Operate a tire diversion program. Tires are diverted at the landfill.ü

Development and implementation of an up-to-date plan for recycling, as part of an Integrated Waste Management System.

This will be completed in 2010.ü

Multi-municipal planning approach to collection and processing recyclables.

Cornwall processes recyclables from adjacent municipalities.

ü

Training of key program staff in core competencies Staff trained in key areas.

ü

Differential tipping fees. The City does have differential tipping fees including free drop off for recycling and leaf and yard waste organics.

ü

Enforce material bans at the landfill.The Waste Reduction Strategy enforces material bans at landfill for cardboard, wood, scrap metal, white goods, leaf waste and scrap tires.

ü

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Waste Management System Performance Objectives Deficiencies

Best/Better Practice Current System Performance Achieving Objective Yes/No

Adopt a Zero Waste Policy. Cornwall does not have a Zero Waste Policy. ûEstablish a waste reduction target. A target has not been established. û

Establish a re-use centre to divert usable materials from the landfill.

A re-use area has been established at the Depot where reusable MHSW materials can be provided free of charge to the public. There is no re-use area for bulky items.

ü/û

Achieve the Province’s 60% municipal waste diversion target. Residential diversion rate = 24% ûAchieve the Province’s 70% blue box capture target. Capture rate = 54% ûAttain a 75% residential participation rate in the blue box program.

Waste audit data (November, 2009) provides order of magnitude estimate of 37%. û

Maintain a well developed, comprehensive promotion and education program aimed at waste reduction and diversion.

Municipalities achieving higher diversion rates spend approximately $1.00/hhld/year, 2007 Promotion & Education cost for Cornwall = $0.20/hh/year.

û

Maximize the amount of organic material collected.

Leaf and yard program only. No food waste organics program. û

Optimization of operations in collections and processing.

Optimization studies have not been undertaken for collection but MRF efficiencies were evaluated with MRF reconstruction.

ü/û

Establish and enforce policies like bag tags, bag limits, clear waste bags for garbage that encourage waste diversion.

No policies are in place. û

Optimize diversion through collection system configuration.

Cornwall collects recyclables at half the frequency of garbage and has not promoted/investigated the use of alternatives e.g. larger containers, clear garbage bags etc.

û

Following generally accepted principle (GAP) for effective procurement and contract management.

Result of up-to-date plan if recommendations implemented. û

Identify operating improvements at the landfill aimed at increasing landfill capacity.

No recent assessment has been undertaken. û

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Waste Management Best Practices

The recommendations in the SWMMP are aimed at improving or expanding on already existing programs and strategies and initiating new programs and strategies to reduce system deficiencies.

These initiatives will enable the City to meet provincial waste diversion targets as well as their own economic, environmental and social objectives.

Recommendations include the elimination of various existing programs that provide incentives to dispose of waste as opposed to incentives to reduce or divert waste.

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Public Consultation

• Public Consultation Session held in Cornwall on May 13, 2010.• Approximately 30 people attended the session.• Nine responses were received either hand-written on the comment sheets

or via email.• Comments/concerns included:

o Free containers would assist with diversion efforts.

o Concerns about bag limits e.g. for larger families.

o Emphasized need for education re: new and existing programs.

o Concerns raised about costs for implementation.

Overall there was support for the proposed initiatives and for conserving landfill capacity.

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Recommendations: Waste Reduction and Reuse

Adoption of a Zero Waste philosophy.

Assess existing re-use initiatives in the City and the cost-benefit of adding a City re-use centre(s) particularly to address bulky waste.

Participate in/comment on provincial policy guidelines and waste regulatory change to promote waste reduction.

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Recommendations: Waste Diversion

• Alternative Container Implementation / Provision of Blue Boxes

• Multi-Residential Recycling Program with a Pilot Study

• Public Open Space and Special Event Recycling

• Assess Depot Programs for Added Diversion

• Full-Scale Waste Audit and Composition Study

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Recommendations: Waste Diversion

• Implement Bag Limit / Bag Tag or Clear Bag with Enforcement Program

• Materials Recovery Facility Optimization

• Organic Waste Collection and Processing – Pilot Study & Full Scale Implementation

• Elimination of Multi-Residential Waste Credit

• Development of a Communications Strategy

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Recommendations: Collection

• Weekly Recycling Collection• Elimination of Bulky Item Collection

with Garbage• Bi-Weekly Garbage Collection

Recommendations: Administration

• Increase Waste Management Staffing Levels

• Adopting Best Practices in Contracting

• Five Year Plan Review• By-Law Amendments to Support

Programming• Access CIF Funding

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Recommendations: Waste Disposal

• Short-term:o Engineering / Operations

Assessment – Landfill Operationso Charge Fees for Residential Waste

Disposal at the Landfillo Increase Landfill Tipping Feeo Market Place Assessment – WWTP

and other Organic Waste Capacity Elsewhere

• Long-term:o Development of a new landfill –

approvals required.o Export waste to privately owned

disposal facilities in or outside of Ontario.

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Impact on Landfill Capacity• Estimated that based on diversion programs and implementation timelines

proposed, approximately 1 to 2 years of landfill capacity will be saved with no added IC&I waste diversion initiatives (e.g. alternative processing of WWTP and other organic wastes could extend capacity by an additional 2-3 years).

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Conclusions

• The City has an opportunity to implement a number of options to achieve its solid waste management planning objectives.

• The recommendations address gaps between the City’s existing waste management system and industry best practices and provincial policy standards.  

• Recommendations can increase the current diversion rate from approximately 24% to 69%.

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