November 18, 1998

To:Works and Utilities Committee

From:Angelos Bacopoulos

General Manager - Solid Waste Management Services

Subject:Greater Toronto Area 3Rs Planning Activities

Purpose:

The purpose of this report is to discuss the City's potential participation in 3Rs planning activities being undertaken by Regions within the Greater Toronto Area.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

There are no financial implications arising from this report.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that this report be received for information.

Council Reference/Background/History:

At its meeting on October 1 and 2, 1998, Toronto City Council, by adoption of Recommendation 5(i) and 5(ii) of Clause No. 2 of Report No. 8 of the Works and Utilities Committee, requested the Commissioner of Works to:

1. meet with his counterpart from the Region of York to discuss Toronto's potential participation in components of the Region of York's 3Rs planning, (including composting and mixed waste processing); and,

2. report back to Committee no later than December 1998, and include identification of other collaborative 3Rs solid waste related programs Toronto could engage in with other members of the Greater Toronto Area.

Discussion:

In the Fall of 1997, York Region Council adopted a Solid Waste Management Disposal/Diversion Strategy. A key recommendation of the Strategy was to pursue private sector proposals for a centralized composting facility for the processing of household organics. The Strategy Report also recommended that three stream versus two stream waste collection methods be further evaluated.

As a component of its Disposal/Diversion Strategy, the Region of York issued a Request for Information (RFI), in August 1998, for construction of an Integrated Solid Waste Processing and Transfer Facility which would process dry recyclables, compost organic waste, and serve as a waste transfer facility. The deadline for responses was October 31, 1998.

Discussions with York regional staff have indicated that the second stage of the process, the Request for Proposals (RFP) will be issued in early 1999. The integrated facility is expected to be operational at the end of the year 2000. The size of the proposed Integrated Solid Waste Processing and Transfer Facility will be determined by such factors as the proposed location of the facility, the type of technology utilized, and the quantity of waste proposed to be managed at the facility.

All other GTA Regions have also embarked on the development of long term 3Rs strategies in an effort to reduce their reliance on landfill. Each of these strategies generally requires several steps to implement, including significant public consultation. The key elements of these 3Rs strategies are to optimize the current 3Rs systems programs, establish specific regional waste diversion targets, and further evaluate Material Recovery Facilities and Centralized Composting Facilities.

Further discussions and consultation will be required to identify potential collaborative 3Rs solid waste programs Toronto could engage in with other GTA municipalities. For example, if excess capacity is available, the potential exists for the City to deliver waste to York Region's Integrated Solid Waste Processing and Transfer Facility.

Waste management planning processes were initiated in 1998 through the formation of the GTA Works Commissioners' Round Table Forum and the GTA Works Committee Chairs' Forum. Meetings of these groups have been useful in generating discussion on potential interregional planning activities and 3Rs programs information exchange. If through these forums opportunities should arise for the City to participate in a collaborative 3Rs program, we will report further to your committee at that time.

Conclusions:

The Solid Waste Management Services Division will continue to explore 3Rs opportunities and facilitate information exchange with member municipalities of the Greater Toronto Area. These efforts will serve to better identify facilities and programs required to achieve the City's waste diversion target of at least 50 percent by the year 2006.

Contact Name:

Joseph Scarcello, P.Eng.

Senior Engineer - Waste Management Planning

Solid Waste Management Services

Phone: (416) 392-5818

Fax: (416) 392-4754

E-mail: joe_scarcello@metrodesk.metrotor.on.ca

A. Bacopoulos

General Manager

Solid Waste Management Services

Barry H. Gutteridge

Commissioner

Works & Emergency Services

JS/ag/swm - GTA_3Rs