diep duong, p.eng. manager, waste reduction and management environment division department of...
TRANSCRIPT
A New Direction for Waste Management in the NWTWaste in the North Working Group Meeting
Whitehorse, YTFebruary 19-21, 2013
Diep Duong, P.Eng.Manager, Waste Reduction and ManagementEnvironment DivisionDepartment of Environment and Natural Resources Government of the Northwest Territories
Presentation OverviewWhy prevent and divert wasteWaste hierarchyLegal framework for waste reduction and recovery programsEnvironment FundBeverage Container ProgramSingle-use Retail Bag ProgramElectronic wasteWhat’s next
Why do we want to prevent and divert waste?
Why do we want to prevent and divert waste?
1. To protect and enhance the environment2. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions3. To preserve our resources
Canada (2006 Stats Canada)Produce almost 35 million tonnes per year7.75 million tonnes of which is diverted22% diversion rate835 kg/person/year
NWT (2010-11, based on Arkis Solutions)Produce approximately 49 thousand tonnes per yearBetween 530 – 1870 kg/person/yearNo diversion rate
Why do we want to prevent and divert waste?
If we look at this in terms of volume…
Uncompacted = ~ 242,000 m3/yrCompacted = ~ 80,700 m3/yr
What does this mean?
We produce enough waste in the NWT to fill up about 32 Olympic-size swimming pools annually
Integrated Solid Waste Management - Waste Hierarchy
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
Recover
Disposal
Waste Diversion Programs in Canada
Legal Framework
Waste Reduction and Recovery ActOctober 2003Legal framework for creating programs to reduce, reuse and recycle materials in the NWTWaste Reduction and Recovery Advisory CommitteeEnvironment Fund
Environment Fund
Separate from general government revenue
Fees collected from programs under the Act go into the Environment Fund
Money from the Fund can only be used to establish, operate and evaluate waste reduction and recycling programs and initiatives
Environment Fund – what it pays forOperating expenses for programs under the ActUpgrade/improve NWT beverage container depots (Behchoko, Gameti, Norman Wells, Fort Resolution, Tuktoyaktuk, Aklavik, Ulukhaktok, Fort Providence & Fort Liard)Feasibility of centralized composting in YellowknifePilot project for centralized composting in Yellowknife (partial funding)Hay River backyard compostingPublic education and outreach on waste reduction and recovery through Ecology NorthNew program development – adding milk, SRBP, electronic waste
Beverage Container Program
First program under the ActImplemented on November 1, 2005Deposit-refund program –incentive to recycle
Includes all ready-to-serve beverage containers, including milk and milk substitute
How the Program Works
Distributor or Retailer
Consumer
DepotProcessing Centre
Southern Markets or Use Locally
Beverage Container Program
Over 182 million beverage containers returned to date
Approximately 27 million containers returned annually
Average recovery rate of 82% since program inception
What do these numbers mean?
Annually, we are avoiding 2475 tonnes of CO2e emissions
= taking 485 vehicles off the road
What do the numbers mean?
Since the program began we have collected and recycled enough aluminum to build…
379 Twin Otters!
What Happens to the Containers?
What Happens to the Containers?Refillable beer - Brewer’s Distributing Ltd. in Edmonton
What Happens to the Containers?Aluminum – densified and sold to markets in the US
What Happens to the Containers?Plastic – baled and sold to Merlin Plastics in Calgary
What Happens to the Containers?Multi-material containers – baled and shipped to Michigan along with the Alberta containers
What Happens to the Containers?Non-refillable glass shipped to Airdrie and recycled into fiberglass insulation
Beverage Container Program ReviewProgram review started in 2011 to see how we
could improve the programKey areas in review:
• Collection network • Transportation• Revenue and expenses • Management of scrap• Policies and procedures • Processing of containers• Quality control – audits
of distributors and operators
• Reuse/recycling• Extended producer
responsibility• Container categories
Beverage Container Program Review
Report completed in November 201118 recommendations, some require amendments to regulationsReport and a timeline for addressing the recommendations on www.icarenwt.ca website
Single-use Retail Bag Program
Single-use Retail Bag ProgramSecond program created under the Act –
January 15, 2010
February 1, 2011
Goal: reduce bag litter on our land and to create a greater awareness of waste reduction and environmental stewardship
Higher fees = fewer bags
How the SRBP Works
ENR• Registers
distributors and retailers
• Receives quarterly payments of fees
Distributor• Charges NWT
grocery stores 25¢ per bag (+ bag price)
• Pays fees to ENR
Retailer• Charges consumers
25¢/bag• Fee appears on
receipt
Consumer• Remembers their
reusable bagOr
• Pays 25¢ per bag
25¢ Per bag
25¢ Per bag
25¢ Per bagEnvironment
Fund
25¢ Per bag
Diversion & Revenue for the SRBP
From January 15, 2010 to September 30, 2012 the SRBP prevented over 14 million bags from being used in the NWT
Generated approximately $1.15 million
Money collected from the SRBP - Environment Fund to pay for program expenses and development of new programs or improvement of existing programs
Annual Bag Reduction
Not using ~5.9 million bags annually = 49 tonnes of CO2e emissions avoided
Equivalent to taking 10 vehicles off the road annually
If they were all T-shirt bags, 14 million bags…
Would stretch from Inuvik to Colón, Panama
Electronic Waste (E-waste)
Electronic Waste (E-waste)
E-waste is the fastest growing waste streamContains hazardous chemicals and heavy metalsIn Canada, there are:
Eight provincially regulated e-waste programs in operation (BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, NS, PEI & QC)NB, NL and YT are also working toward the development of e-waste regulations.
E-waste - What the NWT is DoingE-waste survey to determine the types and amounts of electronic products in the NWT and where residents get their electronic products – May 2012Inventory and feasibility study completed - December 2012Reviewing data and engaging with ARMA and EPRA
Is that it?Waste Management Strategy for the NWT
The need to look at waste management as integrated and finite system.What baseline data do we need?Do we set targets?Who will be our key stakeholders?Which waste diversion programs do we implement?
Is that it?Waste Management Strategy
What waste disposal policies, standards, and/or regulations do we support and/or create? Do we support extended producer responsibility (EPR) in the NWT and if so, is it the right tool for all waste diversion programs?What other waste management policy tools do we use to achieve our goal?What is the best way for us to manage our waste diversion programs?
Questions
To find out more, visit our website at:www.icarenwt.ca
Or, contact us at [email protected]