Newsletter 3 - Recycling Council of Ontario
Transcription
Newsletter 3 - Recycling Council of Ontario
Annual Member Newsletter January 2010 Dear Valued RCO Member, This past year marked an important milestone for RCO and a turning point in waste and recycling policies and programs for Ontario. After three decades of leading and facilitating unfettered discussion and debate of the issues, RCO has continued its pivotal role in making Ontario a waste reduction leader. The environment has retained its priority status with the public and policy makers – not with a competitive stance against healthcare and the economy – but with a unifying position linking all three. RCO and other stakeholders now dare to hope for more comprehensive changes to the manner by which waste is regulated and managed. We have proposed a multi-pronged approach that would ensure expansion of IC&I diversion programs, results-based Extended Producer Responsibility Programs (EPR) and measures to facilitate a “polluter pays” methodology. 2009 and 2010 will surely be looked upon as transition years, sparked by the review of the Waste Diversion Act (WDA) but augmented by broadening the scope to review the Province’s entire waste and recycling framework, through the lens of prevention. RCO has been central to this important change in Ontario. We continue to filter a wide variety of queries for information and resources on waste and recycling issues from all sectors. To satisfy this growing demand for knowledge, resources and services, RCO has responded with an expanded waste audit and information program for the IC&I community - including an improved Waste Minimization Awards Program that resulted in a record number nominees with diversion achievements that surpassed their goals. In 2009, RCO continued with its focus on the development of effective EPR policies and programs, advocating for prevention and ensuring results-based outcomes. In that regard, new investments were made to expand our own stewardship program, Take Back the Light, which has reached its targets well ahead of schedule. Waste Reduction Week 2009, represented the 9th year of RCO chairing the National Coalition of sister organizations as leader of Canada’s only waste-focused educational campaign. An ongoing partnership with Sesame Street’s most loved, Oscar the Grouch, has built the WRW brand into a household name, heightening awareness and leveraging the growth in participation. With new growth in all key endeavours, RCO also looked internally to improve its oversight, management and governance. RCO’s offices were moved to a larger location at 215 Spadina, to maintain its collaboration with other environmental organizations at the Centre for Social Innovation. Through an active Board of Directors, RCO has also revamped its by-laws, updating them to reflect current and future growth and most importantly, to enshrine a governance model that reflects a multi-stakeholder membership. Recycling Council of Ontario (RCO) 215 Spadina Ave, Suite 407 Toronto, ON M5T 2C7 [email protected] 416-657-2797 www.rco.on.ca RCO also continued to invest in improved communications with and among the membership through upgrades to the website, daily headline news and e-notifications on activities of importance. 2010 will be a defining year for Ontario as the province embraces the opportunity to become a waste reduction leader. RCO is enthusiastic about sharing that opportunity and positively influencing future outcomes. Supporting our members and stakeholders while advocating for a greener, clearer, waste-free Ontario is our mandate, our passion and our commitment. We encourage all of you to become involved. Thank you to our devoted members and supporters. Jo-Anne St. Godard Executive Director 2008/2009 Programs Waste Reduction Week in Canada (WRW) “Too Good To Waste” Media hype was at an all time high for the 2008 WRW program, as the RCO once again demonstrated their leadership capabilities at the helm of this national program with a surge in public and corporate interest. The mandate of WRW has never waivered from the 2001 inception at a national level: (1) Education about the consequences of waste and (2) Resources to help all Canadians make the necessary changes, large and small, to reduce waste in their daily lives. The WRW program focuses on the 3Es of the 3Rs; Education, Engagement and Empowerment; it informs and engages Canadians about the environmental and social ramifications of wasteful practices. The program’s educational resources and “take action” messaging, empowers all Canadians to adopt more environmentally conscious choices. The time frame spanned by this annual publication gave a new face to WRW with the arrival of Sesame Street Workshop as a partner. That strategic collaboration brought the grumpy persona of Oscar the Grouch to the entire enterprise and with that cherished Muppet front and centre, the campaigns took off like a rocket. The WRW Green & Grouchy launch was followed by a Green & Grouchy Media Tour which saw RCO’s Executive Director, Jo-Anne St. Godard trading quips with the garrulous green shag on “Canada AM”, CBC’s “The Hour”, CTV’s “News at Noon”, “City Pulse Live”, “Steven & Chris” as well as radio spots on Talk 640 and CFRB and in the numerous whistle stops across Ontario where photo opportunities abounded. Altogether there were 40,000,000 media impressions. WRW had reached out and touched Canadians as never before! In 2009, with Oscar the Grouch firmly entrenched as the high profile spokes-Muppet, the WRW communications campaign integrated social media including Face Book, YouTube and Twitter, and a new website was built to drive participation and registration. In addition to the web-based campaign, a second media tour with Oscar the Grouch and a school video contest took place during the Week. These activities contin- ued to attract a high level of media coverage for WRW from outlets across Canada. With social networking and public media fully engaged, Waste Reduction Week has more than doubled participation in the paste six years from its prime constituent sectors: Schools, Governments and Small/Medium Business and it is expected to grow exponentially in 2010. Ontario Waste Minimization Awards The awards program enjoyed new growth in 2008/2009, annually achieving ever higher levels of participation from both applicants and guests who have made the gala dinner a “must attend” event in their business calendars. The current number of registered applicants stands at 101 (representing a 47% increase from 2007) and is expected to rise to 110 for the next year’s program. The growth category continues to be Facility Management which is understandable, given the number of office buildings concentrated in GTA. Municipal and Business categories have remained constant however there is a small differentiation in the business grouping with a few more organizations defining themselves as “sustainable product or service” companies. The RCO believes that this will be a future and growing trend as business strives to be more sustainable and sensitive to the eco-sensibilities of the consumer. The RCO continues to reach out to all organizations – those with mature functioning environmental programs as well as newcomers who have set their goals but are in need of support and guidance in how to achieve them. This year saw a revamping of the awards criteria that demanded rigour in the responses provided – zeroing in on environmental management systems, management supported recycling programs and sustainability goals for the future. The burden of proof of disposition was set squarely on the shoul- ders of all applicants who were required to provide the accurate data on their recyclable materials. The entire program was enhanced by new mechanics by which companies applied and judges evaluated. A database format was implemented with the expertise of c-Seven Media and for the first time, the RCO could proclaim a “paperless process”. Walking our own talk has been great source of pride for our organization and has made the awards process less onerous for all concerned. We expect to further enhance this tool in 2010 for even better performance and convenience for all stakeholders. And of course, the presence of Oscar the Grouch in and around the awards gala lent a light-hearted glow to the proceedings and a thrill to those who stood agog when face to face with their childhood icon. Take Back the Light The launch of Ontario’s first comprehensive mercury-containing lamp recycling program in June of 2008 created a surge of interest that validates RCO’s conviction that EPR based stewardship programs are exactly what Ontario has been needing for some time. This ‘take back’ program based on a green procurement, collaborative approach of manufacturers, distributors, users and recyclers has proven beyond a doubt that the formula is a winner. Currently, eight distributors/suppliers, representing hundreds of clients including companies like Hydro One, Menkes and Toronto Hydro, and two contractors/retrofitters, have registered for TBTL. They are: 1. Gerrie Electric 2. Green Energy Dynamics 3. Guillivan International 4. HD Supply-Litmor 5. Industrial Electrial Contractors 6. Nedco 7. Osso Electric Supply 8. Paul Wolf 9. Relamping Services 10. Westburne Ruddy Electric As of October 2009, 731,526 lamps have been recycled through RCO’s lamp recycling initiatives, up from 131,757 lamps reported in early 2009. Table 1 (below) provides lamp component materials that were successfully recovered and sent for reuse in various re-manufacturing applications. Table 1: Fluorescent Lamps Recycled Totals Lamp (units) Mercury (g) Glass (Kg) Metals (Kg) Phosphor (Kg) 731,526 8,486 286,758 2655 3336 All of the lamps recovered by TBTL participants were recycled to approximately 98% of their original component materials. The original program plan for TBTL was designed to target the Industrial, Commercial and Institution sectors however TBTL has begun to move into the residential sector ahead of schedule with RCO’s recent partnership with Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC). This spring, CTC will launch the Take Back the Light program in its Ontario retail outlets, which will allow customers to bring back spent lamps for recycling in CTC stores across Ontario, with the long-term goal of expanding the program across Canada. Between its IC&I focus and the new retail effort, TBTL is proving to be a successful program that stands to surpass its target of 10,750,000 lamps recycled by 2012 and financial sustainability by 2010. This unique, “made in Ontario” solution, supported by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, is the first of its kind for the RCO, but based on the results that have been achieved, it may become the model for future program development that serves the needs and goals of all Ontarians. Waste Diversion Certification Program (proposed) RCO continues with its focus on expanding and improving waste diversion in Ontario’s IC&I sector. To that end RCO has developed a proposal, recently submitted to the MOE, to seek support and input for the development of a waste diversion certification program targeted, but not limited to the IC&I community. The text below is taken directly from the proposal’s Terms of Reference. Once funding is in place, RCO anticipates launching the program in the fall of 2010. The objective of the Program is to provide a third party solution that will address in specific ways, the serious issue of waste generated in Ontario’s Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (IC&I) sector. A Waste Diversion Certification Program would be the first of its kind in the world - a program that offers incentive and support to the IC&I community to improve their waste reduction knowledge and activities. The Waste Diversion Certification Program is designed to standardize, support, educate and reward IC&I organizations that participate voluntarily in a diversion improvement program. This program will support provincial diversion objectives for the IC&I sector by means of peer and public recognition, while at the same time helping the MOE deploy enforcement resources more effectively. The program’s mandate will be to support its participants by providing information and resources, tools to implement best practices and a platform for sharing of information among practitioners at all levels. The program will also form the basis for standardized protocols and best practices and establish channels to gather accurate, real-time disposal and diversion data for the sector. 2008/2009 Projects Zerowaste Community Event Tool Kit This web-based toolkit is designed to provide event organizers (and host municipalities) with information and resources to minimize the amount of waste generated at community events. The RCO has proposed that this toolkit, specifically designed to address solid waste, marry itself to a sister program, Aim for Zero, launched by the Rideau Canal Festival, that address carbon footprint. A merged “hands-on” program would be dynamic for the province and a real boon to the hundreds of festivals and events that take place across Ontario every year. Talks are underway to bring the key stakeholders into an accord that will align all the goals, needs and resources as well as funding proposals to government, foundations and the private sector. If you know an organization that might be interested in a funding opportunity, please contact Jo-Anne St. Godard for details. Construction Renovation Demolition Tool Kit In September 2008, RCO was commissioned by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment to support the development of a toolkit, targeted to stakeholders involved in the Construction, Renovation and Demolition (CRD) industry, to support improved waste diversion knowledge and activities in Ontario. The toolkit was launched in the spring of 2009 and can be found on MOE and RCO’s website. Below are details from the TOR of that project. The kit will be built from the best available and most current information, developed to facilitate engagement and action. Kit elements will include, but not be limited to: Scan of global best practices in CRD community Laymen’s interpretation of existing regulations Basic information of the recycling industry and markets as it relates to materials typically generated from CRD proponents Comprehensive and current referral list of waste and recycling service providers Current information and “live” links to obtain recycling material markets information Best practice service provider tendering/contracting Best practice and sample waste audits, action plans, reporting and measuring tools. Peer to peer examples and referrals of best practices in the sector Financial scenarios comparing disposal and recycling costs as it relates to the CRD sector Referral lists for Peer to Peer reuse and recycling of materials (materials exchange) 2008/2009 Policy Focus RCO invests significant amount of time and resource supporting the development of effective EPR programs under the Waste Diversion Act, through its position on Waste Diversion Ontario (WDO) and through its responses to government postings on the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR). Comment on the review Waste Diversion Act (WDA) 2002 In October 28, 2009 the MOE released a discussion paper that provided a summary of stakeholder feedback that gathered during the recent consultations surrounding the review of the WDA. Through its Policy Committee, RCO submitted formal comments to that paper, including the following specific recommendations: Preamble: The discussion paper offers an appropriate and necessary framework from which to undertake the WDA review. Marrying the concepts of a cradle to cradle, end of life man- agement approach, with the principals of EPR, elevates the intent and spirit of the WDA to focus on prevention. Specific recommendations: 1. MOE needs to develop a long term waste reduction strategy for the Province of Ontario that outlines other supportive regulatory tools, alongside EPR Regulation, that would support waste diversion in Ontario. 2. The MOE needs to lead a comprehensive analysis of Ontario’s current waste stream to better inform the WDA review within the context of other policy tools that would support increased waste reduction 3. The MOE should not consider any thermal treatment or land application of materials as diversion within the review of the WDA 4. The purpose of the WDA should be restated to focus on requiring Producers to become responsible for the end of life management of products and/or packaging they place onto the market. 5. Amend the WDA to require all designed stewards to be fully responsible, physically and/or financially for the end of life impacts and associated costs of the products and packages they sell into Ontario 6. Allow for more Individual Stewardship Programs (ISPs). The following specific changes should be considered in support of this recommendation Replace reference to IFO’s through the WDA and indentify the “steward” as the producer Designate stewards in the Program Request letters, do not identify or require the formation of an IFO Remove process for ISP from WDO materials Expand all designations made under the WDA to include products and packaging sold into Ontario’s marketplace, including residential and IC&I sectors. The WDA must include a provision for progressive environmental, health and safety operational standards for each of the Waste Diversion Programs designated under the WDA with considerable penalties for breach of those standards WDO’s Role – Expand the role of the WDO to include data collection and management. Refocus its role to become a resource to ALL obligated producers (collective and/or individual approaches). Continue its role of monitoring and “first approvals” and making recommendations for future designation and continuous improvement to the Minister. WDO’s Governance – Transition the Board of Directors to remove all seats to any sector that is commercially connected to the materials designated under the WDA (industry or municipalities). The MOE should focus its role to include Program Plans (individual and collective approaches) final approvals, program monitoring, enforcement of non-compliance and assessment of penalties. MOE should work with all stakeholders, including the WDO, to set future materials designations based on a comprehensive, province-wide waste diversion plan. 2008/2009 Operations Membership The RCO’s diverse membership base continued to grow throughout 2008/2009 and is not expected to slow down moving into 2010. Retaining current members while attracting new ones has been the challenge throughout this recessionary period; the large percentage of annual membership renewals and the ever-expanding list of new members continually attests to our success in offering services and programming of value. Our membership strategy as we move forward must be one of continued improvement to the existing programs as well as the development of new ones. We must also focus on improvement of the day-to-day member benefits such as the RCO website, E-Directory, Headlines, Special Bulletins on environmental and policy matters, and RCO Event Registration Website (live) http://wwwrcoawards.ca Daily Headlines: Highlights the Headline serves members via a daily email of interesting and relevant news clippings with full links to the published story across all media. Stakeholder Queries Communications On a day to day basis, RCO receives inquiries from a wide variety of interested stakeholders, looking for answers to complex diversion questions – an excellent sign of engagement and interest in improving 3R’s activity at home and abroad. Websites: Governance generally a good ROI for membership dollar invested. RCO continues to communicate its mandate and policy work to members, stakeholders and the public. While there were no upgrades to our current website during this reporting period, there were other sites developed to support programs that the RCO is either currently running or in the process of launching. Take Back the Light (live) http://www.takebackthelight.ca Zerowaste Community Event Toolkit (not currently live) The RCO has further taken up the task of revamping the organizations by-laws and they can be accessed on our website at: www.rco.on.ca Miscellaneous The RCO remains situated at 215 Spadina Avenue, sharing amenities under the umbrella of the Centre of Social Innovation. Our growth necessitated a move to slightly larger quarters so our new suite number is 225. The office is currently staffed from 9:00 am – 3:30 pm Monday to Friday.