December 23, 1998
To:Works and Utilities Committee
From:Commissioner, Works and Emergency Services
Subject:Contamination of Recyclables at Multi-Unit Residential Locations in the
Scarborough Community Council Area
Purpose:
To advise of the ongoing contamination and noncompliance problems respecting recycling at
multi-unit residential locations throughout the Scarborough Community Council area and to
request approval to withdraw waste management services under the authority of Scarborough
By-law 24478 at those locations not fully participating in the City's recycling program.
Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
The current cost of providing refuse collection to the 266 locations in the Scarborough
Community Council Area which refuse to provide recycling services to their residents is
approximately $240,000 annually. The additional cost associated with providing recycling
services to these locations is approximately $65,000. Sufficient funds have been provided in
the 1999 Operating Budget for the provision of these services.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that:
(1)staff be authorized to enforce Scarborough By-law 24478 with respect to the removal of
waste collection services from multi-unit residential locations in the Scarborough Community
Council area not fully participating in the City's recycling program;
(2)Councillors be appraised of the affected locations in their Ward; and,
(3)the City of Toronto's new waste management by-law include a provision that any
multi-unitresidential location that does not establish, operate and maintain a valid recycling
program be subject to the removal of all municipal waste management services.
Council Reference/Background/History:
Provincial Regulation 101/94 requires that municipalities with a population of 5,000 or greater
offer and maintain a municipal Blue Box (recycling) system for multi-unit residential
buildings that receive municipal garbage collection. In addition, Provincial Regulation 103/94
requires that the owner of a multi-unit residential building, that contains six or more
dwellings, implement and maintain a recycling program for residential waste generated at the
building.
The former City of Scarborough By-law Number 24478 requires that owners of multi-unit
residential locations receiving municipal garbage collection participate fully in the municipal
recycling program or be subject to removal of all waste management services.
All multi-unit residential locations eligible for garbage collection services in the Scarborough
Community Council Area have been offered municipal recycling services. Property owners
have been contacted both by letter and by phone to inform them of the regulatory need for
recycling programs at their locations. To date, of the 835 multi-unit residential locations in the
Scarborough Community Council area, 603 have a recycling program in place.
Recyclables from these locations are collected utilizing either 95 gallon recycling carts or bulk
containers. Fibre and commingled materials are collected separately. Alternate collection
systems are used where carts or bulk containers are not feasible. As an added incentive to
encourage participation in the recycling program, the City provides one bulk container free of
charge while the property owner supplies the second. Carts are provided at a subsidized cost
of $40.00. The recyclable material collected from multi-unit locations is identical to that
collected in the residential curbside program.
Current Situation:
Locations With Contaminated Bins
Commingled (bottles, cans and containers) loads of recyclable material collected from bulk
bin containers are being rejected at the transfer station due to an unacceptable level of
contamination. Contaminants include plastic toys, bags, 5 gallon pails and bagged household
garbage. These loads are subsequently sent to landfill. To date there have been no
contamination problems associated with the fibre stream.
In an attempt to rectify the contamination problem staff inspect all bulk recycling bins weekly,
prior to collection. Those locations where bins were identified as contaminated are notified in
person and/or by fax that the bins will not be collected until all contaminants are removed.
The site is provided with a list of contaminants found. In the first week of site inspections, 84
locations were refused collection. Over the summer and early fall months an average of 74
locations did not receive collection in any given week. Staff have worked proactively with the
property owners and superintendents in an attempt to explain the importance of removing
contaminants and provided educational materials in order to rectify the problem at the source.
This approach has been relatively successful as commingled loads collected from bulk
containers are now generally contaminant free. However, commingled bins at 13 locations
have been identified as contaminated and are not receiving collection. These locations are
working diligently in an attempt to rectify the situation and staff continue to work with and
support them. The remaining 32 locations blatantly refuse to ensure that their bins are
contaminant free. Many of these have been filled with garbage and have not been collected for
a period of time. In addition, there are two locations that have made their recycling bins
inaccessible to residents and, hence, are not used at all.
It is important to note that this situation is not limited to the Scarborough Community Council
Area. All parts of the City are experiencing problems with contamination in varying degrees.
Locations Not Offering a Recycling Program
There are presently 232 locations in the Scarborough Community Council Area that have
never offered a recycling program to their residents and as such are not in compliance with
Provincial Regulation 103/94. By ignoring the situation at these locations the City is not
treating all locations equitably. Many multi-unit residential locations work diligently and have
expended financial resources to ensure that residents are recycling. In addition, as discussed
previously, most of those locations identified over the past five months that experienced
contamination problems have devoted a great deal of time and energy toward improving their
programs.
It is important to note that, in addition to the above 232 locations, there are an additional 863
locations throughout Toronto that are not in compliance with Provincial Regulation 103/94.
Existing By-laws in Other Community Council Areas and By-law Consolidation
Staff in all Community Council Areas review site plans and/or development applications and
ensure adequate facilities exist for the provision of recycling. However, only the Community
Council Areas of Scarborough and Etobicoke have the ability to enforce recycling
requirements under existing By-laws. Both By-laws authorize the removal of all waste
collection services from any location that does not establish, operate and maintain a recycling
program. All other Areas put the onus on the Province to enforce their Regulation. To date,
staff are unaware of any locations in the City that have been notified and charged by the
Province for not complying with Regulation 103/94.
In order to achieve maximum diversion of waste from landfill and to create a level playing
field it is imperative that all multi-unit residential locations participate fully in the City's
recycling program. This must also include ensuring that the material set out for collection
meets the required standards.
Recommended Strategy
In an attempt to ensure that all locations in the Scarborough Community Council Area are
compliant with both By-law 24478 and Provincial Regulation 103/94 staff are prepared to
enforce By-law 24478 by notifying the following types of noncompliant locations that the
removal of all municipal waste management services is imminent unless each location
participates fully and cooperatively in the City's recycling program:
(a)the 32 locations that refuse to ensure that the recycling material is free of contaminants;
(b)the 2 locations which have made the recycling program inaccessible to residents; and,
(c) the 232 locations that have been offered recycling services and have refused to participate
in the City's recycling program.
Etobicoke is currently the only other Community Council Area that has the ability to remove
waste collection services from noncomplying locations. Staff have been enforcing this by-law
since August 1998 in an attempt to force approximately 200 noncomplying locations to
recycle. To date, only one location has been removed from waste collection service. However,
the day following the revocation of service, the property owner agreed to implement a
recycling program. Of the 40 locations contacted to date, 39 are now recycling. The remaining
location will begin recycling in the near future. The remainder of noncomplying locations are
being contacted as staff time permits.
Conclusions:
In an attempt to harmonize service levels, ensure all multi-unit residential locations in the City
of Toronto are treated equitably and to maximize diversion, any new By-law prepared for the
governing of waste management services should include enforcement provisions for
mandatory recycling. Staff are reviewing the various by-laws related to waste management
throughout the City and will be providing a further report on this issue in the Spring of 1999.
Contact Name:
Catharine Daniels
Waste Management Analyst
Solid Waste Management Services
Phone: (416) 396-5205
Fax: (416) 396-4256
E-mail: daniels@city.scarborough.on.ca
Angelos BacopoulosBarry H. Gutteridge
General ManagerCommissioner
Solid Waste Management ServicesWorks and Emergency Services
