November 18, 1998

To:Works and Utilities Committee

From:Angelos Bacopoulos

General Manager - Solid Waste Management Services

Subject:Environment Days

Purpose:

To report on the cost of Environment Days and to revise some of the funding amounts for their promotion.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

There are no financial implications arising from this report

Recommendations:

It is recommended that the payment for Environment Day advertisements in a Councillor's constituent newsletter be increased in accordance with the recommended payments for different size advertisements stated in this report.

Council Reference/Background/History:

At its meeting of November 4, 1998, the Works and Utilities Committee adopted a number of recommendations pertaining to procedures for Environment Days in 1999 and further requested that the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services submit a report to the Committee on the cost of the events. In addition, during the past two months, a number of Councillors have expressed concern with Environment Day promotional funding especially regarding advertisements in their constituent newsletters which have not been funded to the same extent that stand alone flyers or ads in community newspapers are funded. This report will deal first with the cost of Environment Days, followed by recommended changes to promotional funding.

Discussion and Justification:

In 1998, a total of 32 Environment Days were held. As indicated in our report on this subject that was before your Committee on November 4, 1998, the following waste diversion results were achieved as a result of the events:

- sale of 2,244 home composters

- collection of approximately 210 tonnes of household hazardous waste

- distribution of 800 tonnes of leaf compost

- collection of 47 tonnes of tires for recycling

- sale of 1,442 blue boxes, 796 grey boxes, 262 water kits and 300 peak pails

- recovery of 14 tonnes of used clothing, 10 tonnes of computers and 6 tonnes of books for reuse and recycling

- collection of 3 tonnes of non-perishable food items and hundreds of pairs of eyeglasses for redistribution

- collection of 1 tonne of polycoat cartons, juice boxes and Brita filters for recycling

- collection of 3 tonnes of various plastics including polystyrene, plastic bags and plastic tubs/lids for recycling

The estimated cost to operate the 1998 Environment Days, including household hazardous waste management and disposal, was approximately $500,000.00. An additional amount of approximately $80,000.00 was spent promoting the events. The total amount is comprised of the following:

Wages and Benefits include the costs of a full-time Environment Day Coordinator and Clerk, six casual staff working approximately 20 hours per week each during the months of April to October, and a Driver from April to October. The duties of these positions are as follows:

Coordinator-responsible for arranging and coordinating the events, and ensuring the effective provision of services at the events.

Clerk-answers telephone inquiries related to the Environment Days and performs administrative functions such as recording bank deposits, sales and inventory.

Casual staff-provide service to the public at the events, such as selling composters, blue boxes and water kits, and accepting recyclable material. Also perform other duties such as loading composters, blue boxes, etc. on to trucks the day before the event and assisting in promoting the events, e.g., staffing mall displays, visiting schools.

Driver-delivers items such as composters to the events and transfers recyclables and reusables collected at the events to the markets.

Supplies, Services and Other Expenses include materials and services to operate the events such as signs, bins, trailer rental and police to control traffic; the net cost of the composters, water kits, etc. sold at the events; the cost to transport finished compost to the events; and administrative costs such as computers and office supplies.

Household Hazardous Waste costs are for the management and disposal of the material collected at the events.

Promotion includes newspaper advertisements (six 1/4-page ads in the Toronto Star), radio advertisements (five series of ads from end of April to September), plus distribution of posters, recorded telephone messages, listings in Waste Watch, and information dissemination at displays. This is in addition to the $1,000.00 per ward which is allotted to the Councillors for promoting their events.

With respect to the promotion of Environment Days, departmental guidelines stipulate that a maximum of $1000.00 per ward or $500.00 per Councillor be made available to Councillors to promote their events. This is in addition to the approximately $50,000.00 that the department spends on promoting Environment Days. In February 1998, promotion guidelines for publicizing 1998 Environment Days were distributed to each Councillor. Councillors were asked to follow a number of rules regarding how the funds could be allocated between flyers, community newspaper advertisements and advertising in constituent newsletters. A number of Councillors have expressed concern that Environment Day ads in their constituent newsletters have not been funded to the same extent that stand alone flyers or ads in community newspapers are funded. After consultation with the Clerk's Division, we hereby recommend that the Department make changes to the promotion guidelines for 1999 as described below.

The payment for advertisements in a constituent newsletter should be increased as follows:

Size of AdvertisementCurrent PaymentRecommended Payment

The amount for a full-page advertisement is restricted to $500.00 to enable both Councillors in a ward to advertise in their newsletters and to enable residents to receive the information twice (i.e., two "hits"). The remainder of the rules and requirements, as outlined in the 1998 promotion guidelines, would remain the same. The $1,000.00 limit on promotional spending per ward would also remain in place.

Conclusions:

The total cost to operate the 1998 Environment Days, including promotion and household hazardous waste management and disposal, is estimated to be approximately $580,000.00. Amending the promotion guidelines will allow Councillors to receive more funding for advertising in their constituent newsletters. All other promotion guidelines would remain the same as in 1998.

Contact Names:

Tim MichaelNicole Dufort

Manager, Waste DiversionManager, Communications

Solid Waste Management ServicesSupport Services

Works and Emergency ServicesWorks and Emergency Services

Phone: 392-8506Phone: 392-2963

Fax: 392-4754Fax: 392-2974

tim_michael@metrodesk.metrotor.on.ca nicole_dufort@metrodesk.metrotor.on.ca

Angelos BacopoulosBarry H. Gutteridge

General ManagerCommissioner

Solid Waste Management ServicesWorks & Emergency Services

TM/ND/ag/swm - Enviro_D