Jo-Anne St. Godard Executive Director Recycling Council of Ontario April

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 Ontarios waste generation and disposal challenges o Explain Ontarios waste-related legislation o Look at Canadas waste management policy trends over the last few years o Explore what waste management may look like in the future in Ontario 2

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 3

o Celebrating over 30 years (incorporated in 1978) o Instrumental in developing Ontarios 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 4

Our work involves: o conducting research and sharing information o supporting the development of effective waste reduction policies and programs o leading the implementation and application of policies o forming partnerships o operating waste reduction services and programs 5

Programs o Waste Reduction Week in Canada ( o Take Back the Light ( o Waste Free Lunch Challenge ( o Ontario Waste Minimization Awards o Waste Audit Consulting Services Projects o Zero Waste Community Events Toolkit o Reusable Bag Loyalty Project o Construction Renovation and Demolition Waste Management Case Studies 6

7 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 price o Society/tax payers are faced with the impacts o Disposing of waste in landfill has short-term and long-term impacts o Loss of valuable land o Loss of valuable materials for reuse in manufacturing processes o Groundwater contamination o Release of GHG emissions o Following the 3Rs hierarchy presents environmental benefits o 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.

8 o Waste also represents inefficiencies in our economy, for instance the unnecessary: o production of GHG emissions o release of pollutants during production – using recycled paper pulp significantly reduces the chemicals necessary to produce paper from virgin materials o 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 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 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. 9 o The national diversion rate in 2006 was 22%, the same as in 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

10 Ontario Tonnes disposed9.8 M10.4 M Per capita disposal810 kg820 kg Provincial overall diversion rate19.8%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 Ontarios 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%.

11 Canada o The federal government has jurisdiction over toxic substances and the international movement of waste o 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 decisions o For example, mandatory recycling of certain materials Ontario o 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/ programs o Municipalities focus on household waste o IC&I waste is managed by private haulers and the diversion rates differ drastically

12 Waste Management o 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 wastes o Hazardous wastes need to managed in an environmentally responsible manner, by certified waste haulers and needs to be tracked through the provinces Hazardous Waste Information Network. Residential Sector: Pollution Prevention & Waste Diversion o Waste recycling - 3Rs regulations under the EPA require municipalities (over 5,000 ppl.) to divert specific wastes for recycling/composting o 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 Program o Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Program o Used Tires Program

13 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 priorities o Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is becoming an increasingly popular policy approach: o EPR means an environmental policy approach in which a producers responsibility for a product is extended to the post-consumer stage of a products 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 opportunity o EPR programs broaden scope – include waste generated by all sectors o 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 levies o Mandatory landfill gas capture systems 14

15 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 costs o individual producer responsibility o 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.

16 Issues that may affect waste management and recycling into the future 1)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. Godard Executive Director Recycling Council of Ontario