Item - 2016.PW11.3

The purpose of this report is to present an update to the Draft Long Term Waste Management Strategy (Attachment 1) to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee for information only.  The Draft Long Term Waste Management Strategy (“draft Waste Strategy”) consists of the following elements:

- Policy, program and facility recommendations and implementation plan;

- 10 Year waste reduction plan;

- Performance metrics and KPIs; and

- Financial implications required to fund the recommendations.

In addition, this report provides an update on the status of project deliverables (Attachment 2), public consultation information, and details of the public health evaluation (Attachment 3).  The final Long Term Waste Management Strategy (“Waste Strategy”) will be presented to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee in June 2016 and City Council in July 2016.

Initiation of the City of Toronto’s Long Term Waste Management Strategy

Waste management and diversion programs in the City of Toronto (the City) have significantly evolved over time. In 2013 City Council recognized the need for an updated comprehensive long term waste management plan and commissioned the development of a Long Term Waste Management Strategy.  Since 2013, the City has been working through a comprehensive technical evaluation process supported by widespread public and stakeholder engagement activities to develop the draft Waste Strategy document.  Policies, programs and technological options and best practices for new and emerging waste diversion and disposal methods were considered and evaluated. The draft Waste Strategy recommends waste reduction, reuse, recycling, recovery and residual disposal policies and programs, in that order, that are cost-effective, socially acceptable and environmentally sustainable for the long term.

The following provides a summary of the key aspects of the draft Waste Strategy:

Waste Strategy Vision and Guiding Principles to Navigate the Future System

A successful Waste Strategy reflects the interests of the community that it serves, now and in the future. It is driven by a Vision Statement and Guiding Principles that express a philosophy of what the Waste Strategy will strive to achieve and what will be important in making decisions along the way.  The following Vision was developed for the future of the City’s Integrated Solid Waste Management System.

“Together we will reduce the amount of waste we generate, reuse what we can, and recycle and recover the remaining resources to reinvest back into the economy.  We will embrace a waste management system that is user-friendly, with programs and facilities that balance the needs of the community and the environment with long term financial sustainability.  Together, we will ensure a safe, clean, beautiful and healthy City for the future.”

This vision statement will be used in concert with eight guiding principles developed to support decision making in the future.

Maximizing the Life of Green Lane Landfill

The development of the draft Waste Strategy placed a priority on maximizing the life of Green Lane Landfill by minimizing the amount of garbage sent for disposal.  Several factors that have led to new estimates of the life of Green Lane Landfill to approximately 2040 include:

- The new series of 5Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover, Residual Disposal) options being recommended through the draft Waste Strategy has the potential to further extend the life of the landfill.

- As part of the draft Waste Strategy, initial projections have been refined with more sophisticated modelling that includes correlation to economic growth factors. With this refinement of the model, it is anticipated that residual waste will not increase over time.

- Review of current landfill operations has revealed that settlement of materials in the site is occurring at a greater rate than initially estimated. Rate of settlement is contingent on the composition of the waste and the analysis suggests that the settlement rate will continue.

Based on the three key findings outlined above, this is almost 10 years more landfill capacity than was previously projected at the beginning of the development of the Waste Strategy.  With this additional available capacity, evaluation results have determined that initiating further reviews and studies for expansion of Green Lane Landfill or acquisition of landfills will not be required in the next 10 years.

A Commitment to Prioritizing Waste Hierarchy through Reduction, Reuse and Recycling

The draft Waste Strategy places emphasis on waste reduction, reuse and recycling activities to promote the importance of resource conservation and reduced environmental impact.  The recommended programs require minimal capital investment, but have the potential to reduce the amount of material requiring management by the City by more than 30,000 tonnes per year once fully implemented.

The draft Waste Strategy recommends five new reduction and reuse focused programs for early implementation that address food waste reduction, textiles, sharing and reuse opportunities and supporting ongoing waste exchange programs.

Leveraging Programs and Services Already in Place in order to Further Improve Waste Diversion Potential

The draft Waste Strategy shows that the City already has in place  the programs, infrastructure and services that will assist the City of Toronto in achieving a 70% waste diversion rate which would make them a leader amongst similar-sized cities in North America and world-wide.  During the first five years of the Waste Strategy, emphasis will be placed on further improving the performance of the current integrated waste management system by focusing on further improving participation and proper utilization of existing programs and services.  This is especially important in the multi-residential and industrial, commercial, and institutional sectors where lack of participation and high contamination rates are prevalent.

A complimentary approach to enforcement of programs, services and By-laws will be implemented to improve system performance, together with ongoing education and engagement activities that could divert an additional 30,000 tonnes annually of material currently being landfilled.

Strategic System Planning to Minimize the Need for new Capital Infrastructure Investments

The draft Waste Strategy minimizes the need for new capital infrastructure investment (such as energy from waste and other emerging technologies) by placing emphasis on residents and non-residential customers of the City to “do the right thing” by reducing the amount of waste they generate and ensuring participation in already existing reuse and recycling programs.

In later years of the draft Waste Strategy implementation, a mixed waste processing facility with organics recovery is being recommended for further consideration as a final step to recover additional divertible resources before landfilling. This option is being recommended only after the 10 year review is completed in order to determine the success of the Waste Strategy and reassess the need for additional processing and resource recovery technology in the system.

Working Together with Community Partners to Enhance Access to Diversion Programs, Collaborate in Service Delivery and Increase Citizen Engagement to Support Sustainable Solid Waste Management Practices

The draft Waste Strategy recommends a number of different options where the involvement of community partners will be critical in the successful delivery of these new programs.  This will be of particular importance when considering new reuse initiatives such as swap events and waste exchanges. This approach respects the City’s diverse population and civic identity through supporting collaboration amongst community members which share neighbourhoods and also fosters opportunities where people can discuss experiences from within their social organizations.

Maintaining Flexibility for Future Changes to the Waste Management Landscape

Waste management systems are in a constant state of flux with new management technologies and approaches becoming available, changes in consumer buying habits and product packaging and new advances in environmental protection and governing legislation.  All these changes require a Waste Strategy that has specific goals, however, is flexible to adapt to a constantly changing environment in which the system operates.  The timing of some recommended options considers the newly proposed Bill 151: Waste-Free Ontario Act legislation and the potential impacts it may have on how waste is managed in the future in the City.

Service, Stewardship and Commitment in Continuing to Deliver High Quality and Cost Effective Customer Service for Waste Management Programs

A new cost allocation and sustainable rate model has been developed to support implementation of the Waste Strategy and lead to a fully self-sufficient and sustainable solid waste utility in the future.   This new model will ensure that the high quality services, stewardship over our waste management practices and commitment to cost efficient services being provided are done so at a fair and reasonable price to each customer in the system.