July 6, 1998
To:Works and Utilities Committee
From:Angelos Bacopoulos, General Manager - Solid Waste Management Services
Subject:Banning of Wine and Spirit Containers from the Blue Box and Landfill Site
Purpose:
To report on further matters pertaining to City Council's direction that wine and spirit containers shall be banned from
the blue box and from landfill effective September 1, 1998.
Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
If it is decided to implement collection of wine and spirit containers adjacent to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario
(LCBO) stores, the annual operating cost would be approximately $1,600,000.00 per year and the capital cost for
implementation would be approximately $1,120,000.00. The City Solicitor will separately advise your Committee
whether these costs can be recovered from the LCBO.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that this report be received for information.
Council Reference/Background/History:
At its meeting of June 17, 1998, the Works and Utilities Committee recommended:
1. That the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services be requested to contact the Liquor Control Board of
Ontario (LCBO) for locations on their property where the City can station bulk lift containers for the recycling of wine
and spirit bottles;
2. If the LCBO refuses to co-operate, the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services be requested to report to the
Committee on locations near LCBO outlets where recycling containers for wine and spirit bottles may be stationed;
3. The Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services be requested to report to the next meeting of the Committee,
scheduled to be held on July 15, 1998, on a plan to implement the bulk lift collection of wine/spirit containers at or near
LCBO outlets;
4. Once the foregoing is implemented, the City of Toronto will bill the LCBO for the cost of this service effective
September 1, 1998.
Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:
1. Meeting with Staff of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario
City staff have met with representatives of the LCBO who advised that they are not able to provide space on their
properties for bulk lift containers for the recycling of wine and spirit containers. The LCBO staff also advised that they
will not contribute to the cost of the City operating a depot system near their stores. The LCBO's position is that the City
is required under the Environmental Protection Act to collect glass containers, including alcoholic beverage containers,
in the blue box system.
The LCBO staff advised that they currently operate a pilot material recovery program at 15 liquor stores throughout the
Greater Toronto Area, ten of which are located in the City of Toronto. The LCBO has been expanding this program very
slowly and is not considering adding stores in the near future. The LCBO also feels that an overall Provincial approach is
required for the management of alcoholic beverage containers.
2. Locations Near LCBO Outlets Where Recycling Containers for Wine and Spirit Containers May Be Stationed
The most practical location for the provision of recycling collection bins near LCBO outlets by the City is the street
allowance. It is not possible to locate large bulk lift bins on the street allowance without seriously restricting pedestrian
access. However, it would be possible to locate 360-litre wheeled bins on the street allowance close to LCBO stores,
provided that the bins are tethered to special racks and poles between collections. It will be necessary to amend various
City of Toronto by-laws to permit this program. For many stores, such as those located in "strip" plazas, there is a
considerable distance between the LCBO store and the sidewalk, which will increase the inconvenience of this system.
3. Plan to Implement Collection of Wine and Spirit Containers at or Near LCBO Outlets
In order to assist City staff to estimate the costs of a City-operated recycling system adjacent to LCBO stores, the LCBO
was asked to provide information regarding the percentage of their sales by day of the week and by season. The LCBO
advised that this information is only available by way of a Freedom of Information request. As a result, it was not
possible to estimate operating costs of a recycling system with knowledge of the times when customers visit LCBO
stores, and the estimates shown in this report must be considered preliminary.
There are 82 LCBO stores in the City of Toronto. It will not be practical to provide a recycling system adjacent to stores
which are in enclosed shopping centres. It is estimated that up to four 360-litre bins will be required for the material
recovery at each store where the service is provided, assuming six days a week operation Monday to Saturday inclusive.
Quantities of materials deposited will vary depending on patronage at each store and the distance between the store and
the recycling containers. It will also be necessary to tether the bins to racks, which will need to be fabricated for this
purpose, or to poles if poles are available. If four 360-litre bins are provided at each location, the capital cost for these
bins, locks, chains and racks will be approximately $120,000. In a previous report to your Committee dated March 18,
1998, entitled "The Issues Associated with a Deposit Return System for Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Beverage
Containers", it was estimated that the municipal waste stream includes approximately 18,500 tonnes per year of
alcoholic beverage containers, of which 11,000 tonnes per year are collected through the blue box system and 7,500
tonnes per year are collected as garbage.
If half of the generated material collected in the blue box is collected in the wheeled bins, this will result in the
collection of approximately 5,500 tonnes per annum of wine and spirit containers, most of which is glass. This will result
in filling each of the 360-litre bins approximately 300 times per year. Approximately six additional crews and trucks will
be required to empty these bins on a six day per week basis throughout the City. The estimated cost of this collection of
materials is approximately $1,400,000 per year. Transfer and processing of the material to the City's material recovery
facility (MRF) at 400 Commissioners Street will cost approximately $300,000 per year for a total operating cost of
approximately $1,700,000 per year. This operating cost would be offset by material sales revenues of approximately
$100,000 per year for a net annual operating cost of approximately $1,600,000. The purchase of six new collection
vehicles is approximately $1,000,000, for a total capital cost of approximately $1,120,000, including toter containers,
racks and rack installation. Based on normal equipment acquisition procedures, it would take one year to acquire the
necessary collection equipment, following a decision by City Council.
Under this arrangement, there will be some reduction in the overall cost of providing blue box collection. However,
because the quantity of material to be removed from the system is relatively small in relation to the total quantity of blue
box material collected in the system, it will not be possible to substantially change collection methods, processing
capacity, collection frequency or collection routes to offset the additional cost to the City to provide the additional
service described above.
There are also likely to be increased quantities of glass landfilled under such a system, because many residents may feel
that depositing used containers in wheeled bins is less convenient than depositing these containers in their blue boxes or
in the garbage. Therefore, the overall cost of the City's blue box system and the waste disposal system, excluding the
additional cost of the on-street LCBO container system is likely to remain unchanged.
4. Billing the LCBO for the Cost of the Collection of Wine and Spirit Containers
The City Solicitor has been requested to advise your Committee concerning the authority of the City to bill the LCBO
for this service.
Conclusions:
The provision of recycling of wine and spirit containers adjacent to LCBO stores will cost approximately $1,600,000
per year. Equipment acquisition costs will be approximately $1,120,000. The combined cost of the City's existing
curbside blue box and waste disposal systems is likely to remain unchanged following implementation of the LCBO
recycling system. It would take approximately one year following authorization by City Council to acquire the necessary
containers and trucks and implement the proposed recycling system. Therefore, the system cannot practically be
implemented on September 1, 1998.
Contact Name and Telephone Number:
John Warren
Director of Operations and Sanitation
Toronto Community Council Area
Phone: (416) 392-1846
Fax: (416) 392-0396
E-Mail: "jwarren2@toronto.city.on.ca"
Angelos Bacopoulos
General Manager
Solid Waste Management Services
Barry Gutteridge
Commissioner
Works and Emergency Services
