Improving recycling in multi-family residences and the construction and demolition sector are two ways the Canadian province of Ontario can boost its overall diversion rates, according to consultant David Merriman of MacViro Consultants, Markham, Ontario, who addressed attendees at a session entitled “Waste Diversion in the Residential and IC&I Sectors – Infrastructure Changes” at the 2007 Canadian Waste and Recycling Expo held recently in Toronto.
According to statistics presented by Merriman, residential diversion rates for single-family homes with source-separated organics included in the program are between 45 and 50 percent. Rates for single-family residential collection without organics falls slightly to between 30 and 40 percent.
The diversion rates for multi-family residences have much room for improvement at 10 to 20 percent, said Merriman. “Multi-residential has been characterized by low participation and low quality,” he said. He discussed several possible tactics for increasing the diversion rate in multi-residential settings, including sealing garbage shoots in apartment buildings, building new structures with multiple shoots and bins and increased efforts on education and outreach.
Furthermore, the diversion rate for C&D material is only around 12 percent. While Merriman said this figure is likely underestimated, it still represents a possible sector for growth in recycling.
Merriman also outlined other possibilities for increasing Ontario’s diversion rates, including mandatory recycling enforced by the use of translucent bags.
Merriman said that a number of factors are contributing to the desire to increase diversion rates in the province. On the social front, he said the environment is growing in importance on the public agenda. However, he added that while many people express the condition of the environment as a chief concern, their actions (such as the products they buy) do not always reflect the attitude. Technologically, the industry is benefiting from new, more efficient equipment to produce better quality recycled materials. International issues, such as the potential closing of the Michigan border to Ontario’s waste, are also encouraging efforts to increase diversion rates, according to Merriman. He added that economics still present potential roadblocks, however, as landfills are still relatively inexpensive compared to recycling.
More information about MacViro Consultants is available at www.macviro.com.