Contamination of Recyclables at Multi-Unit

Residential Locations in the

Scarborough Community Council Area

The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee recommends the adoption of the Recommendation of the Budget Committee embodied in the following communication (February 22, 1999) from the City Clerk:

Recommendations:

The Budget Committee on February 19, 1999, recommended to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee, and Council, the adoption of the report (December 23, 1998) from the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services, wherein it is recommended that:

(1)staff be authorized to enforce Scarborough By-law No. 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 apprised 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-unit residential location that does not establish, operate and maintain a valid recycling program be subject to the removal of all municipal waste management services.

Background:

The Budget Committee on February 19, 1999, had before it a communication (January 13, 1999) from the City Clerk, advising that the Works and Utilities Committee on January 13, 1999, recommended to the Budget Committee the adoption of report (December 23, 1999) from the Commissioner, Works and Emergency Services, wherein it is recommended that:

(1)staff be authorized to enforce Scarborough By-law No. 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 apprised 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-unit residential location that does not establish, operate and maintain a valid recycling program be subject to the removal of all municipal waste management services.

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(Communication dated January 13, 1999, addressed to the

Budget Committee from the City Clerk)

Recommendation:

The Works and Utilities Committee on January 13, 1999, recommended to the Budget Committee the adoption of the report dated December 23, 1998, from the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services respecting contamination of recyclables at multi-unit residential locations in the Scarborough Community Council area.

The Works and Utilities Committee reports, for the information of the Budget Committee, having also referred this issue to the Toronto 3R Sub-Committee for consideration.

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(Communication dated December 23, 1998, addressed to the

Works and Utilities Committee from the

Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services)

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 No.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 $240,000.00 annually. The additional cost associated with providing recycling services to these locations is approximately $65,000.00. 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 No. 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 apprised 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-unit residential 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 No. 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, five 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 32locations 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 863locations throughout Toronto that are not in compliance with Provincial Regulation No. 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 No. 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 No. 24478 and Provincial Regulation No. 103/94, staff are prepared to enforce By-law No. 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 40locations 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.