solid waste & recycling june/july 2009

Solid Waste& RecyclingSolid Waste& RecyclingCanada’s magazine on collection, hauling, processing and disposalJune/July 2009 $10.00

CPMP No. 40069240 An EcoLog Group Publication

Israeli MBT technology comes to Canada — page 14

Turning food waste into clean energy inside an eco-business zone — page 8

Project Green

Published by HazMat Management and Solid Waste & Recycling magazines.

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C O N T E N T S

Solid Waste & RecyclingCanada’s magazine on collection, hauling, processing & disposal

June/July 2009Volume 14, Number 3

Israeli technology, pg. 14 Sustainable packaging, pg. 38 Tanks, pg. 40

COVER STORY

Project Green 8Food waste is generated in large quantities near Toronto’s Pearson Airport by the many restaurants, hotels and food services businesses. A new project uses this waste for bio-energy.by Ian Graham

DEPARTMENTSEditorial 4Up Front & Masthead 6Waste Business 20Composting Matters 31Products 34Regulation Roundup 36Event Report 42Ad Index 45Blog 46

NEXT EDITIONSUPPLEMENTS: Composting Systems & Services; Show Guide: The Composting Council of CanadaAnnual Conference, Tradeshow & AGM; Landfill bioreactors. Chute systems. Faster project approvals. Marketing municipal programs. Scale house improvements. Baler technology.Space closing: July 22; Artwork required: July 25. Advertisers, contact Publisher Brad O’Brien at 1-888-702-1111 ext. 2.

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FEATURES

WASTE TO ENERGY: ISRAELI TECHNOLOGYArrow Bio’s system uses water separation and digestion.by Arthur Potts 14

RECYCLING: E-WASTEGreentec’s electronics waste recycling plant.by Guy Crittenden 18

DIVERSION: SUSTAINABLE PACKAGINGPizza 73 double-decker boxes reduce waste.by Ani Chakmakian 38

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE: TANKS Blue Rhino’s propane tank recycling program 40

IC&I WASTE: WASTE EXCHANGEThe iWasteNot system plays matchmaker for waste. 41

CLEAN TECH CANADAsupplement — pages 21-30

EDITORIALClean technology opportunities.by Vicky Sharpe 22

CLEAN TECHProfiles of clean technology companies.by John Nicholson 23

GREEN ENERGYEnerkem technology turns waste into biofuel.by Marie-Helene Labrie 25

LEGAL VIEWOntario’s new Green Energy Act.by Aaron Atcheson 27

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http://www.solidwastemag.com























“The environment ministry should implement the

recommendations its own experts made four years ago.”

by Guy CrittendenE D I T O R I A L

Meet the Spartans

4 www.solidwastemag.com June/July 2009

Few situations puzzle me like the failure of successive Ontario en-vironment ministers to properly regulate papermill sludge — a waste byproduct of paper recycling. Incredibly, the government

continues to ignore the sensible recommendations of its own expert panel, convened four years ago to develop solutions. The government’s torpor is allowing questionable disposal practices to continue that dis-rupt the lives of rural residents concerned about the long-term safety of their drinking water aquifers.

In Ontario, Atlantic Packaging is the major recycler of paper and other fibres collected via the blue box. “Paper fibre solids” resulting from its process used to be landfilled — a significant cost to the business. A waste disposal entrepreneur devised an ingenious alternative. He mixed the de-composing papermill sludge with about 30 per cent sand and gravel, and labeled the mixture “Sound-Sorb,” then used the ma-terial to build berms at such places as auto speedways (to attenuate sound) and gun clubs (to catch bullets).

Ontario’s environment ministry accepted that Sound-Sorb is a “product” and instead of managing it as a waste via Certificates of Ap-proval — which offer extensive oversight and control opportunities — signed a weaker Memorandum of Understanding with Atlan-tic Packaging. This saves the company mil-lions in landfill tip fees. While the province probably thought it was helping divert waste from landfill, the move had the unintended consequence of pitting recycling against the goals of en-vironmental protection; it turned out that the sludge berms were not as benign as originally thought.

In several locations, contaminated leachate from the berms has forced the ministry to order the excavation and removal of material, at great expense.

As just one example, In the August/September, 2006 edition of this magazine I wrote an editorial entitled, “Sludge: It’s not just for breakfast anymore.” The editorial described the situation in Pelham, Ontario where a berm had been constructed in an environmentally sensitive area from 20,000 tonnes of fibre biosolids. The material contained inks and dyes (as one would expect from magazines and newspapers) as well as contaminants of concern such as total petroleum hydrocarbons, PAHs and lead. E.coli and fecal streptococcus have been found in some berms. Acrylamide monomer (a known animal carcinogen), benzo[a]pyrene, MEK and phenol may also be present and require further research; some may appear only after years of decomposition in a berm. Acrylamide is usually present in high concentra-tions. Local opposition and contamination of an ecologically sensitive wet-land adjascent to the berm eventually led to removal of the material.

Such situations could be avoided if the government implemented the six recommendations that its expert panel laid out in its January 2005 Report of the Experts Panel on Sound-Sorb.

The first recommendations was that, “There is no need to ban the use

of PFB mixed with mineral soil (Sound-Sorb) for bulk use in berms.” The second stated “There is no need to remove the OSGC berm provided long-term monitoring of the groundwater is continued.” The experts then rec-ommended that existing berms at other gun clubs should have a hydrogeo-logical assessment, and that a monitoring regime be established in accord with a special algorithm. “Removal of a berm would only be appropriate” they wrote, “as a mitigation option if contaminants in excess of the On-tario Drinking-Water Quality Standards were found in groundwater leav-ing the site or significant risks to human or environmental health were found on an SSRA or other risk assessment.”

The fourth recommendation (one of the most important) stated that, “PFB should be composted before it is used in a berm” (as is done in the

UK). The fifth and sixth recommendations stipulated that, following a hydrogeological assessment (and a risk assessment if neces-sary), Sound-Sorb production and land ap-plication should be controlled by a Certifi-cate of Approval or other legal instrument that provides equal or better protection for human health and the environment.

The recommendations are, if anything, conservative; no one’s attempting to ban Sound-Sorb — just hold the companies ac-countable and prevent pollution by choos-ing sites carefully and monitoring for po-tential impacts.

Yet, the ministry continues to ignore the recommendations, with pre-dictable consequences.

In April the Port Stanley News reported on a kilometer-long berm pro-posed for the St. Thomas Dragway near Sparta, Ontario. Journalist Francie Dennison wrote about a second delegation at the Central Elgin Council meet-ing of April 14, 2009, that presented a “warp speed” plan to start berm con-struction just two days later. Staff were concerned that the area’s native sandy soils have a high susceptibility to contamination from surface sources and a study identified 22 water supply wells within a one km radius of the site. They noted that ministry studies at other Ontario sites indicate Sound-Sorb may contain elevated levels of heavy metals including copper and lead, and the provided studies didn’t provide information related to the design or noise at-tenuation benefits of the proposed berm (about which staff were skeptical).

Municipalities and concerned citizens would be spared the kind of battle that’s about to erupt in Sparta if the environment ministry would implement the recommendations its own experts made four years ago — something re-cently demanded by the Association of Public Health Associations (ALPHA).

We call upon Minister John Gerretsen to take action now, or face 300 angry Spartans at his door — a situation that history tells us is best avoided.

Guy Crittenden is editor of this magazine. Contact Guy at [email protected]@ARTICLECATEGORY:793;

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Guy Crittenden [email protected]

Brad O’Brien [email protected]

Jamie Ross [email protected]

Sheila Wilson ArtDirectorKim Collins MarketProductionSelina Rahaman CirculationManagerCarol Bell-Lenoury MgrEcoLogGroupBruce Creighton President

BusinessInformationGroupContributing Editors

MichaelCant,RosalindCooper,MariaKelleher,ClarissaMorawski,UsmanValiante,PaulvanderWerf

Award-winning magazine

Solid Waste & Recycling magazine is published six times a year by EcoLog Information Resources Group, a division of BIG Magazines L.P., a leading Canadian businesstobusiness information services company that also publishes HazMat Management magazine and other information products. The magazine is printed in Canada.

Solid Waste & Recycling provides strategic information and perspectives on all aspects of Canadian solid waste collection, hauling, processing and disposal to waste managers, haulers, recycling coordinators, landfill and compost facility operators and other waste industry professionals.

Canadian Publications Mail ProductSales Agreement No. 40069240

Information contained in this publication has been compiled from sources believed to be reliable, thus Solid Waste & Recycling cannot be responsible for the absolute correctness or sufficiency of articles or editorial contained herein. Articles in this magazine are intended to convey information rather than give legal or other professional advice. Reprint and list rental services are arranged through the Publisher at (416) 5106798.

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:Circulation Department, Solid Waste & Recycling12 Concorde Pl, Ste 800, Toronto, ON M3C 4J2Call: (416) 4425600 Fax: (416) 5105148Email: [email protected]

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Solid Waste & RecyclingSolid Waste & RecyclingCanada’s magazine on collection, hauling, processing & disposal

OUR TOP LETTERSDear Editor:

I read with interest your two articles on refuse derived fuel (Zafar – “Waste Pelletization” and Crittenden – “Waste Pellets to Energy at Dongara”) in the April/May issue of Solid Waste & Recycling magazine. As suggested in these articles, waste fuel pellets can potentially contribute to environmental improve-ments if they are used to replace the coal and petroleum coke currently used to provide energy in cement kilns, coal fired power plants and industrial boilers.

While the opportunity you identify is significant, these two articles unfortu-nately did not discuss the considerable road blocks that industrial facilities in Ontario face in their attempts to utilize refuse derived fuel pellets from Don-gara, or other sources.

For instance, located a mere 90 km drive from the Dongara facility, the St Marys Cement Bowmanville plant would be an ideal consumer of these waste fuel pellets. Despite the win-win potential, in order for the environmental benefits to be realized, St. Marys would be required to obtain an onerous provincial waste handling permit in addition to the regular modifications to its provincial air approval certificate. The lengthy, costly, and uncertain waste handling permit application comes with ample opportunities for delay through appeals to the Environmental Review Tribunal process.

Moreover, despite the potential benefits offered over the burning of imported coal, provincial and municipal governments and citizens do not appear to recognize the potential resources within and the products that can be manufactured from the province’s vast waste streams. This means that there is a significant stigma towards energy recovery from waste initiatives in the province, especially where energy pellets might cross municipal boundaries. And because of that, any application and permitting process tends to be contentious, costly and lead to conflicts between applicants and the various stakeholder groups within neighbouring communities. Potential pellet consum-ers are forced to ask themselves whether the risks are worth the rewards.

To realize the potential from the Dongara pellets, the Ontario government needs to apply the same type of innovative and aggressive policy reform that it mustered for renewable energy applications in the newly passed Green Energy Act.

Sincerely,

Michael McSweeneyVice President IndustryCement Association of Canada

Boxal is promoting aluminum bottles to the premium wine beverage container category,

claiming that they “add value to the drinking experience.” In a news release, the company states that the bottles “get people excited about the product. They encourage trial and consumption on premise as well as during other occasions.”

The release continues: “The ex-tensive off-the-shelf Boxal alum-inum bottle range enables great speed to market. In a few weeks

only a new product can be in the con-sumer’s hands. Versatile and flexible, the Boxal aluminum bottle is the most cost effective media to reach the consumers directly. Limited edi-tions, special events collectors as well as mass market productions are possible.”

“Presented individually or in prestigious presentation packs the bottles offer fatal attraction,” the release states.Contact Marc Bettinger at [email protected]

swr jun-july 09 Upfront pg 6-7.indd 6 12/11/10 11:55 AM








U P F R O N T


Barry Friesen joins CropLife Canada

CropLife Canada is pleased to announce Barry Friesen has joined its staff as general manager of CleanFARMS Inc., a soon-to-be

established organization that will assume responsibility for manag-ing the collection and recycling of used containers and disposal of obsolete pesticides for Canada’s pesticide industry. Barry comes to CropLife Canada with a long history in recycling and waste management. Most recently he served as regional vice president at Product Care Association. Before that he worked for the Niagara Region as director, waste management services division and as the solid-waste resource manager for the Nova Scotia Department of Environment. Barry is also a board member of the Recycling Council of Ontario and a past-chair of the Composting Council of Canada.

In this newly created role, Barry will help transition CropLife Canada’s con-tainer management and obsolete pesti-cide collection programs to CleanFARMS Inc. CleanFARMS Inc will be a stand-alone, non-profit organization. During the transition period, Barry will report to Cam Davreux, vice president of steward-ship at CropLife Canada. Barry will work from CropLife Canada’s Toronto office and can be reached at 416-622-9771 x2230.@ARTICLECATEGORY:798;

WASTE MANAGEMENT ACQUIRES MOLOK BUSINESS

Waste Management has announced that it has acquired Deep Clean Waste Services Inc., familiar to Canadians as the collection and service company for the MOLOK container system. Waste

Management officials said the decision to make a significant investment in the collection of waste and recyclables from MOLOK Deep Collection containers grows out of the growing popularity of the containers system.

The transaction was completed June 1, 2009. The acquisition of the Mount Forest-based Deep Clean fits into Waste Management’s strategy and primary financial goals of earnings growth, margin expansion, strong cash flow genera-tion and increasing the company’s long-term return on invested capital. Deep Clean’s principal services include emptying of the innovative Finnish com-pany MOLOK’s waste and recycling containers, which account for 100 per cent of its revenues.

“Our investment represents an important strategic opportunity to com-pete in a competitive solid waste market,” said Brad Muter, market area vice president for Eastern Canada.

About Waste ManagementWaste Management, Inc., based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Through its subsidiaries, the company provides collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. It is also a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. The company’s customers include residential, com-mercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout North America.Visit www.wm.com

The MOLOK bulk waste collection system was developed in Finland and consists of a dome-lidded round container above ground, with the larger portion of the container underground. A

special crane truck lifts the dome lid, then raises a bag liner from inside. The operator dispenses the contents into his truck by

untying a special closure at the bottom of the bag.

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“Yield Energy is con-ducting a survey of

food processors and restaurants to quantify the amounts and types

of organic waste.”

by Ian Graham

Turning biomass into clean energy inside an eco-business zone

Sustainable business practices are becoming a competitive neces-sity, and businesses (as well as government) can do more for the environment working together than apart. The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) and Toronto and Region Conserva-tion (TRCA), in partnership with the Region of Peel and cities

of Toronto, Brampton and Mississauga, have embarked on an ambitious undertaking to put these principles into action. The objective is no less than to transform the area around Toronto Pearson International Airport into a world-class eco-business zone. Once in place, the Pearson Eco-Business Zone will be the largest eco-business initiative in North America.

Partnerships in “Project Green” leverage the airport area’s many ad-vantages — infrastructure, diverse industrial and commercial base, talent pool, and green spaces — to make it a hub of green innovation. The Pear-son Eco-Business Zone is Canada’s largest employment area comprised of more than 12,000 hectares of industrial and commercial land, 12,500 businesses, and 355,000 employees. Major sectors include automotive supply chain, logistics and warehousing, food processing, plastics, and

C O V E R S T O R Y


aviation. It’s an ideal location to pool materials and group purchases, share best practices, cooperate to cut costs and minimize waste.

The TRCA has already received multi-year funding commitments from its partner municipalities and the GTAA to development and imple-ment the initiative. The GTAA is taking a leadership role, while a var-iety of area businesses — Unilever, Bayer Inc., Woodbine Entertainment Group, Oxford Properties, Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Lange Transporta-tion, Molson, and many others — assist with implementation by sitting on the project steering committee and undertaking innovative environ-mental projects on their sites.

With estimated total annual electricity use of close to 5.8 million MWh, natural gas consumption of 46 million GJ, and water use of 109 million m3, the area surrounding the airport represents enormous poten-tial for conservation. To realize this potential, Partners in Project Green develops and implements projects and programs to help businesses real-ize cost reduction opportunities, including looking at energy, pooling green purchases and, most prominently, turning waste into revenue.

Project

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Project

GreenJune/July 2009 www.solidwastemag.com 9

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Organic wasteIn partnership with YIELD Energy Inc., Part-ners in Project Green are working together to identify opportunities to turn organic waste from local food processors into green energy in the Pearson Eco-Business Zone.

“With the amount of food processors around the airport, the potential for green energy is massive,” says Ian Graham of Yield Energy. “The only limiting factor around the airport could be the land available for bio-gas plants, as opposed to the amount waste.”

With over 250 food processors in the zone, organic waste from a number of manufacturers could feed one or multiple bio-gas facilities. But the first step is to get a better picture of the organic waste being generated in the area.

To do this, Yield Energy is conducting a survey of food processors and restaurants to quantify the amounts and types of organic waste. This information will be used to iden-tify potential sites and to develop the biogas business plan.

The proposed bio-gas facility(s) would

utilize anaerobic digestion, which produces bio-methane gas from organic waste materials, which is then used to generate green electri-city. In addition to electricity, the process also creates waste heat that can be provided to local businesses.

Interest in the project is high, and the back-ground research is expected to be completed at the end of June 2009.

ComponentsA regional resource reutilization network is being developed; a number of stakeholders have been brought together to develop and

implement a regional waste exchange. The group is currently looking at waste exchanges globally to better understand the conditions of success. Other components include:— An Eco-Efficiency program offers local busi nesses free walk-through assessments to identify energy, water and waste reduction potential, helps fund detailed audits, and pro-vides assistance in implementing and finan-cing projects.— A Green Building Retrofit program of-fers assistance for property managers and owners to reduce costs and improve the per-formance of their building stock.— A Resource Utilization program is receiv-ing intense interest, with two initiatives under-way to help turn general waste and food waste into new revenue streams for local companies.Other project initiatives that will bolster prof-itability, help retain employees, and enhance corporate image include: a Sustainable Trans-portation program to help address employee commuting options; Green Purchasing Blocks to drive down the cost of implementing green

C O V E R S T O R Y

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Our waste management expertise ranges from strategy and planning, diversion, processing and transfer systems, to disposal and waste-to-energy systems.

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EnvironmentEnvironment

technologies; and, Green Site initiatives to help green their parking areas, as well as monthly networking and education events.

Organic waste processingThe new biogas process design solves the problem of separating foreign materials in two steps. The first step is a pre-treatment process using a specially designed shredder in com-bination with a modified piston press. The first step of the process separates more than 90 per cent of contaminants. The second step of the process removes the remaining 10 per cent contamination from the digester without in-terrupting the biogas production; the digested sludge is screened continuously and the floor of the digester is cleaned with an innovative technology.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) of wet organic waste reduces greenhouse gas emissions and produces renewable energy in the form of elec-tricity and heat.

The main problems running AD plants with

The first step of the process separates more than 90 per cent of contaminants.



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organic waste as input material are the re-sult of foreign materials contaminating the organic wastes and disturbing the mechan-ical function of the plants. Waste, such as tins or plastics, should not be in the waste. Unfortunately, people are not careful when sorting their organic waste material. In the past, problems caused by inorganic con-taminants disturbing the waste treatment process led decision makers to conclude that AD is unreliable, expensive and in-secure.

While there is no way to clean the waste such that all contaminants are re-moved from the organic fraction before digesting, a solution exists in a reliable front-end system that removes as many contamin-ants as possible from the organic waste prior to

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entering the digester, plus an in-tank cleaning system to remove the rest of the contaminants during digestion.

Before pre-treating the organic waste ma-

terial, it passes through a shredder, in this case one that’s impervious to metals or glass. The entire waste stream as received gets shredded and, as required, water is added to raise the total solids content to 25 per cent. This results in a pasty sludge with the inorganic waste particles in pieces no larger than 25 mm.

The conditioned sludge moves to the first step of contaminant removal: the pre-treatment system, developed in cooper-ation with Fitec and Putzmeister. It’s based on a modified piston pump. The propri-etary modifications include a specialized control system, a gate valve, a screening

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sand, eggshells etc. most particles smaller than 12mm. This material is stored in an intermedi-ate storage ready for hydrolization.

The removed contaminants and some or-ganic residues remain in a pipe and are pumped through a double tube heat exchanger. The ma-terial is heated to temperatures over 70°C and is held at this temperature for more than one hour. Fats and organic residues in the waste get pasty. A second stage press squeezes the contaminant fraction until the rest of liquids are separated. The remaining contaminant fraction has a total solid content of more than 45 per cent and contains very little organics.

After hydrolization, the pre-treated organic matter is fed to the AD. The slurry still con-tains some inorganic contaminants despite all efforts to remove it. Depending on the input

material, these residual contaminants may in-clude sand, glass particles, eggshells, parts of seashells, rubber rings or plastic particles that passed through the filter. Left untreated, these materials will accumulate in the digester and cause problems. Heavy grit material sinks to the digester floor and plastic floats up to the surface. Therefore, a scraper for daily cleaning of the digester floor and a skimming device to

clean the surface were developed.If you would like to share your organic waste for the study or learn more about Partners in Project Green please visitwww.partnersinprojectgreen.com

Ian Graham is with Yield Energy Inc. in Toronto Ontario. Contact Ian at [email protected]@ARTICLECATEGORY:784; 2242;

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W A S T E - T O - E N E R G YThe two-stage process

diverts upwards of 85 per cent of waste.

by Arthur Potts

MBTIsraeli waste treatment technology comes to Canada

A new approach to managing municipal solid waste is coming closer to reality in Canada. A mechanical/biological technology (MBT) known as the ArrowBio Process is being proposed for

Grey County, Ontario by BioWaste Treatment Technologies, a firm that has established a willing host agreement to build in Southgate Town-ship, (about an hour and a half north of Toronto).

Biowaste principals Victor Sibilia and myself have backgrounds in waste management. Sibilia was the founder and operator of EnviroTire in Brampton, which processed 1.75 million tires a year into re-usable crumb rubber. In addition to being a government relations consultant, I co-founded Wood Waste Solutions — a wood recycling company that now operates out of Bolton.

Both of us came across the ArrowBio technology independently and recognized that it took a very different approach to diverting organics and recyclables from landfill. Developed in Israel — where there are no curbside recycling programs — the technology is designed to process unsorted municipal waste, recover the recyclables, remove contamin-ants and then anaerobically digest the remaining organic waste into bio-gas, digestate and excess water. The two-stage process diverts upwards of 85 per cent of waste from landfill while generating green energy.

The processThe technology developers, Arrow Ecology in Israel, are experts in water treatment systems. They recognized that water is an excellent medium to separate municipal waste based on each component’s specific gravity, as well as to biodegrade the remaining organic materials into energy-rich biogas, clean water and a stabilized soil amendment product. The process exploits the same science that anaerobically digests sewage sludge.

The water washes clean the recyclable materials, enhancing their market value. It also provides a flow regulation property that makes the continuous processing resilient to changes in input composition, while containing all odors and by-products within a network of tanks and pipes.

In the first stage, the waste (containing biodegradable and non-bio-degradable materials) is dumped on a tipping floor where it’s visually screened for unsuitable waste, such as bulky goods. Material is then directed into a large tank full of recycled water that contains biological agents. The various materials in the waste stream are separated via gravitational settling, screening, and hydro-mechanical shredding. Sep-aration is based primarily on the principle that inorganic materials, such as metals and glass, have a specific gravity that’s greater than water, while plastics and biodegradable organic matter have a specific gravity that’s equal to or less than water.

The heavy components sink to the bottom of the tank and are con-veyed to a trommel screen that opens any plastic bags with cutting blades and returns the small fractions to the settling tank. Using cutting blades rather than a shredder insures that any hazardous materials such as batteries or cleaning product containers are not released into the solu-tion. The heavy fractions are then conveyed over a magnet and an eddy current, separating the ferrous and aluminum metals; the remaining ma-terials are hand sorted to recover glass, detergent containers or other specified materials. The residue from this side of the operation is typ-ically inert waste that can be safely landfilled.

The light fractions, such as mixed plastics, are floated across the tank by a paddle wheel and conveyed up a belt to a picking station where PET, HDPE and film plastics are air classified into three streams

Nearly completed back end of the

Australian plant.

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of recyclable products that can be bailed and marketed. Since plastics don’t absorb water (compared to bio-degradable material), they’re lighter and separate easily.

The biodegradable material that remains in the float-ation tank enters the filtration systems where pulveriza-tion creates a watery organic solution. This energy-rich solution contains biodegradable material, organic mat-ter, paper and other substances that can now be treated in the bioreactors.

Biological treatmentThe carbon-rich organic fluid then undergoes two processes, both of which are orchestrated by naturally occurring microorganisms in highly controlled environments. The bio-liquid first enters acetogenic bio-reactors for several hours of preliminary treatment. There, biological hydrolysis splits certain molecules into their component, readily-metab-olized parts, (e.g., simple sugars and organic acids).

This organic liquid is then pumped to the methanogenic reactor for digestion. The process uses an advanced variant of anaerobic digestion

that, with respect to solid waste processing, is unique to the ArrowBio Process. “Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket” (UASB) digestion, thoroughly degrades the biological materials into finished soil amend-ment products and a methane-rich biogas.

The biogas is collected at the upper part of the methanogenic reactor and is re-circulated by compressor and re-injected into the reactor close to its bottom, providing agitation without mechanical devices. Excess biogas is routed out of the system to power the facility, while the balance can be sold as green energy for transportation and power plants (sub-stantially less polluting than alternative fossil fuels). In Ontario, it’s an-ticipated that the biogas will qualify for the Province of Ontario’s new



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The process re-circulates water throughout the system; excess water is polished to meet community standards and released to the water shed or used for irrigation. The resulting di-gestate is thoroughly degraded so that it does not smell; in Israel it’s used as a soil amend-ment product. In Canada it may be necessary to further process this material to meet local compost standards.

InstallationsIt’s a great benefit for municipalities con-sidering a new technology to be able to visit plants that are up and running. Currently, two ArrowBio plants are in operation. The original plant, just out side of Tel Aviv, has been pro-cessing 20,000 to 25,000 tonnes per year for the past seven years. Last June a new plant with a capacity of 300 tonnes per day was completed in New South Wales, Australia and is now fully operational. BioWaste Treatment Technologies plans to build a plant similar to the Australian one (or about 90,000 tonnes per year) in the Dundalk Industrial Park. Project financing is contingent on securing sufficient waste volumes under long-term contracts; the local municipalities are considering whether to assign their unsorted municipal waste to BioWaste for a tipping fee of $50 a tonne.

Local municipalities are mindful that the US border will be closed to much of Ontario’s municipal waste in 2010. In addition, waste diversion continues to be a priority for munici-palities intent on preserving valuable landfill space. Getting organics out of the waste stream is essential to meeting diversion targets of 60 per cent or more. Being able to accomplish this (and more) without the added expense and disruption of a source-separated organics (SSO) program could be a major factor in their decisions to commit their waste to Biowaste to be managed in an ArrowBio MBT plant.

NOTE: A video of the technology is available at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZVqQ8f6LiI

Arthur Potts is President of BioWaste Treatment Technologies Limited in Toronto, Ontario. Contact Arthur at [email protected]@ARTICLECATEGORY:2242; 784;

Excess water is polished to meet

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“During one Earth Week collection event, 60,000

pounds come through the facility from the Cambridge

region.”

by Guy CrittendenR E C Y C L I N G

WEEE, WEEE, WEEE all the way homeGreentec’s e-waste processing facility in Cambridge, Ontario

In the southwestern Ontario city of Cambridge, one of Canada’s largest collectors and recyclers of used electronics, cell phones, and print car-tridges — Greentec — has been growing steadily since its inception in

1995. Established as a home-based business trading in used technology products, Greentec now operates out of a 90,000 square foot facility that houses its recycling operations.

The company achieved 1S0 14001 registration in 2002 and received environment ministry approval in 2007. The company finds sustainable solutions and audits downstream partners to ensure no waste electron-ics or electrical equipment (WEEE) materials are sent to landfill or de-veloping countries for processing.

Greentec manages collection, transportation, sorting, asset recovery, recycling, environmental reporting, and even collection events. Pro-cesses can be customized to meet individual customer needs; since 1997 Greentec has secured over 2,000 contracts from 700 customers in 15 countries. One department of a local municipality diverted 7,479 pounds of e-waste from landfills in one month by partnering with Greentec. The company also collects consumer in-store returns and end-of-life elec-tronics from national retailers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

Plant and operationsWhen electronic waste, cell phones or cartridges come into the facil-ity, they’re first examined to determine whether they can be reused or refurbished. If not, they’re ground down so plastics and metals can be recovered by downstream partners. Greentec collects six million toner and ink cartridges annually, close to 90 per cent of which are reusable, and processes more than 200,000 cell phones.

Depending on whether the client wishes to recover value, Greentec will pay for items that can be reused. The company has a testing and remarketing team with a network of secondary market buyers that al-lows them to maximize value recovery on a broad selection of items. Since 1997 sales revenue has grown by almost 700 per cent. If the client does not want to have any of their products reach a secondary market, the company offers secure destruction. Items are ground down and de-stroyed in accordance with environmental legislation and electronics recycling standards.

Says Tony Perrotta, president of Greentec, “Most people are con-cerned about their personal information getting out there. We make sure that when we get a product in, we wipe it of any personal information, including computer equipment. Their hard drives are cleared according

One of Greentec’s balers.

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to U.S. Department of Defense Standards.”With the Ontario e-waste stewardship pro-

gram in effect, business is growing. During one Earth Week collection event alone, the company saw 60,000 pounds come through the facility just from the Cambridge region.

Greentec’s closed loop system is composed of an initial feed conveyor for delivery of e-waste to a two-shaft industrial shredder. This slow speed, high torque shear shredder deliv-ers more than 80,000 lbs of cutting force and torque, easily capturing and reducing these materials to an initial size of approx 11/2” wide x 2” to 6” long pieces (and smaller).

Material leaving the first shredder is trans-ported via a sort conveyor complete with mag-netic head pulley to the secondary reduction side. Operators manually remove stainless steel shafts and any other materials not destine for additional processing. The magnetic head pulley automatically extracts the majority of ferrous materials to a separate container.

At this point the general shredded e-waste

may be diverted to stock pile (simple destruc-tion) or be allowed to pass to the secondary reduction side via an enclosed feed conveyor.

A separate gaylord tipper is also included at this location for the introduction of waste toner cartridges to the secondary shredder. The fully enclosed feed conveyor transports these toner cartridges (and or shredded e-waste) to the four shaft shredder to be reduced to a 30 mm (11/2”) minus particle. When process-ing cartridges, the stainless steel feed hopper will be under a constant high-pressure water mist spray to eliminate any sparking issues or chance of fire/explosion. All materials exiting the shredder fall directly to a stainless steel vibrating dewatering screener below. This screener is completely sealed to the shredder and downstream removal conveyor for dust collection and fines containment. Runoff water is collected at this point, then filtered and dis-posed of in an environmentally sound and ap-proved way.

A secondary removal conveyor from the

screener transports the shredded materials to the separation module. Material exiting this conveyor is subjected to an additional vibra-tory screen for removal of fines and at the same time for the removal of any missed minor fer-rous by a cross belt magnet. This vibratory screener also serves as a feeder to a rare earth eddy current separator, which in turn removes any aluminum to a collection container.

Final separation of the remaining mixed red metals and, circuit boards from the plastics is completed by an all metal sorter. This unit takes the mixed stream from the eddy current unit and effectively separates any metal-bear-ing material from the plastic content.

Greentec also has a horizontal baler that can compact corrugated, plastics and light metals bails of 1500lbs.

Guy Crittenden is editor of this magazine. Contact Guy at [email protected]@ARTICLECATEGORY:793;

swr jun-july 09 Recycling pg 18-19.indd 19 12/11/10 12:04 PM



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Government policySome may recall a spate of failures amongst tire recyclers across Can-ada, especially in Ontario. Even NRT’s recycling division faced the Company’s Creditors Arrangement Act (the Canadian equivalent of Chapter 11 in the U.S.).

One of the reasons for the failure, at least in Ontario, was the elim-ination of the $5 tire tax charged by the province. When the government rescinded the tire tax, some retailers began to charge a $5 disposal fee. In a free market system the tires went to the lowest cost provider of service, often haulers that would either illegally dispose of them, truck them to landfill, or truck them to the U.S. or Quebec for incineration.

In a free market system, tire recyclers have to compete for supply with incinerators and landfills. Without a government policy that en-courages recycling of tires through various means, landfilling and incin-

eration is the result.In the spring, the Ontario government announced a industry-funded

program to deal with the 12 million tires generated in the province each year. The program is scheduled to

begin in the fall and will be delivered by Ontario Tire Stewardship, a not-for-profit organization

incorporated under legislation. The program will see 91 percent of used tires recycled

into higher uses and include funding for research into greener ways to recycle tires.

One advantage of the new tire steward-ship program over the hated tire tax is that

the government will not collect any fees. Fees for the program will be collected by Ontario Tire Stewardship from brand owners, im-

porters and vehicle manufacturers.Bavington is pleased with the new tire recycling program in Ontario.

When the program is implemented, NRT will not have to compete against landfills and incinerators for its feedstock. It’s likely that the company will be able to grow since the company could add up to 30 per cent more tire-derived material to its products. It will also be able to compete effectively with off-shore imports, thereby allowing it to in-crease its tire recycling production by over 100 percent.

John Nicholson, M.Sc., P.Eng., is a consultant based in Toronto, Ontario. Contact John at [email protected]@ARTICLECATEGORY:793;


“One advantage of the new tire stewardship program over

the hated tire tax is that the government will not collect

any fees.”

by John Nicholson, M.Sc.,P.Eng.

What Goes Around, Comes AroundThe business case for tire recovery

W A S T E B U S I N E S S

In Canada used tires end up in one of four places. If there’s any tread left, the tire is shipped to the Caribbean or South America for reuse. Or, the tire can be shredded and then integrated back into new prod-

ucts. The tire can be used as an alternative fuel or incinerated. Finally, the tire can be found in a landfill or (sometimes) an illegal dump.

Any tire from Canada with a reasonable tread remaining can be re-used in warmer climates for several more years. This practice gives driv-ers in Central and South America the ability to obtain cheap tires that are still safe in non-winter road conditions.

Tires can be recycled into new products. A tire is made up of vul-canized rubber, steel, and textile (or fabric). Recycling involves the shredding of tires into its components and reusing them the components based on their inherit properties. The vulcanized rubber from a tire can be combined with un-vulcanized rubber (typically at a ratio up to 50 per cent) to produce a myriad of rubber products such as mats, truck flaps, and bumbers.

Largest recyclerThe largest fully-integrated tire recycler and recycled rubber products manufacturer in North America can be found in Toronto, On-tario. National Rubber Technologies (NRT) has been in business since 1927. Most re-cently, it expanded its operation into the United States through the acquisition of Koneta Rubber in Ohio.

What separates NRT from its com-petitors in the tire recycling business is its vertical integration. Tire recycling in-volves four steps: collection, grinding, separation, and fabrication into new products. NRT has competitors within each step of the tire recyc-ling business but is the only company that does all four. The company is involved in every aspect of tire recycling — from when a tire is taken off a vehicle for the last time, to shredding, R&D into new products, fabrication of new products, marketing and sales.

NRT is privately owned, with shares split between senior manage-ment and a private equity firm. The company has 270 employees in Toronto and 150 people in its recently acquired Ohio facility.

The company’s President and CEO, Greg Bavington, is proud that the company can consider itself part of the green business movement. It’s one of the reasons that attracted him to it. A mechanical engineer by training, Bavington worked at General Motors and Hatch Consultants prior to joining NRT.

swr jun-july 09 Waste Bus pg 20.indd 20 12/11/10 12:05 PM



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CLEAN TECH COVER 2.indd 1 19/06/09 12:15 PM

CTC summer 09 Cvr pg 21.indd 21 12/11/10 12:06 PM

CLEAN TECH CANADA

Over the last few years, clean technologies have become a part of our daily lives. They are every-where: in the cleaner vehicles available at the dealership, in the energy efficient light bulbs in our

houses, in the power produced from alternative sources of energy we use every day. It’s becoming obvious to all of us that they can have a direct impact both on our environment and in our personal lives. However, what might not be so obvious is the tremendous economic opportunities that cleantech can create, at a time when Canada and the rest of the world are seeking measures to create new jobs and economic activity.

In the current global context, an increasing number of countries are entering the cleantech race, convinced that investments into low-carbon technologies and green infrastructure can help create jobs in the short-term and play a key role in the shift to a new clean economy. For example, the U.S., under the new Obama Administration, will spend $150 billion over the next decade on clean energy, creating an estimated five million jobs.

As major markets like the United States and China seek to shed costs and increase value in their product offerings, resource-based economies like Canada’s must move up the value chain in order to position themselves at the front of the pack.

There’s no shortage of innovative and promising clean technologies in Canada. In fact, SDTC’s SD Tech Fund™ has a portfolio of 154 projects that, once they reach the market, have the potential to bring positive environmental impacts for Canadians and others. In total, SDTC has committed $376 million to these projects from across the country. That amount has been leveraged with an addi-tional $905 million in funding from other project partners for a total project value of $1.3 billion. While this financial support is essential in helping them move towards commer-

cialization, it is often not enough.

In the instant-gratification world of today, the payback from supporting and adopting innovative clean technologies

can sometimes get lost. The development and demonstra-tion of clean technologies often requires high capital expenditures for plant construction, product scale up, and manufacturing capability. However, while sometimes difficult to finance, successful technologies lead to broader and more integrated supply chains, spin-off economic opportunities, and a multiplier effect in job creation. This entire chain of innovation is fed by knowledge workers with diverse skill sets, creating ideas that lead to product de-velopment. These technologies are manufactured, distrib-uted and then enter markets, creating jobs and wealth for a greater number of individuals in the supply chain.

As the global cleantech race continues there will be a strong global demand for market-ready clean technologies. In the absence of such technologies, Canada could find itself unable to fulfill its traditional role as an exporting nation, and become a net importer of clean technologies in order to keep up with global advances.

While there isn’t a silver bullet solution to ensuring that Canada can take full advantage of the cleantech opportun-ity to strengthen its economy, achieving this goal will require efforts from a multitude of sectors. First, all levels of government must use their leadership to develop and imple-ment harmonized regulations and incentives to encourage the widespread adoption of clean technologies in domestic markets.

Second, industry executives need to be leaders in the adoption of clean technologies that will ultimately reduce both costs and their impact on the environmental. Other private-sector players, such as the investment community, must develop a greater appetite for the risk attached to funding clean technologies, further appreciating the greater rewards they could potentially reap.

Both early-stage and expansion capital funds are needed as young companies struggle to obtain financing in this tough market. Canada stands to lose an entire generation of cleantech companies if we don’t ensure successful commercialization of their products and tap into burgeoning domestic and international markets.

Canada has the choice to seize these opportunities and be a technology maker or it can lag behind and become a technology taker. The time to act is now; together, we can transition successfully into a new 21st-century economy in which green infrastructure plays a critical part and supports the objectives of prosperity and environmental sustainability.

Vicky Sharpe, Ph.D., is President & CEO, Sustainable Development Technology Canada (STDC) in Ottawa, Ontario. Contact Vicky at [email protected]

editorial

by Vicky Sharpe

“Canada can be a

technology maker or

it can lag behind

and become a

technology taker.”

Canada must act now to move into new clean economy

SEIZING THE CLEANTECH OPPORTUNITY


CTC summer 09 edit pg 22.indd 22 12/11/10 12:06 PM



CLEAN TECH CANADA


SHOULD YOU JUMP ON OR JUMP OFF?

THE CLEANTECH BANDWAGON IN CANADA

A good benchmark on the state of the cleantech industry in Canada is The Cleantech Report™. Recently issued by the Ontario Centre of Environmental Technology Advancement (OCETA) and the Russell-Mitchell Group, the

report provides a good description of the industry, trends and drivers, barriers and opportunities in the cleantech and green tech industry. Although focused solely on Ontario-based companies, it has applicability to the rest of Canada.

The report itself provides good background informa-tion to the barriers to growth for cleantech companies. The Cleantech Report identifies investment as a key to the success of clean technology companies in the province. The report estimates that Ontario’s cleantech sector will require $800 million to $1.2 billion in investment for product commercialization over the next three to five years. These figures do not include investments in demonstration plants or proof-of-concept equipment.

One major difference between some cleantech compan-ies and start-up in other sectors is the lengthy and some-times complicated permitting process for some technologies. This is one obstacle that Canadian governments should be

looking into so as to support the commercialization of local technologies. (See Editorial by STDC’s Vicky Sharpe.)

In many Canadian jurisdictions, the regulatory environ-ment is not conducive to a demonstration testing of a new technology, especially if it involves thermal treatment. Start-ups are faced with face hefty consulting fees and long waits in order to get approval demonstrate their technology to potential customers. Without a successful full-scale dem-onstration, it’s extremely difficult to convince a customer to buy an unproven solution. By assisting in the development of a domestic market for made-in-Canada clean technolo-gies, governments will be providing invaluable assistance to the sector.

Who are these guys?

Almost half of the 145-page document is dedicated to profiles of Ontario-based clean technology companies. The information in the profiles is similar to what one would typically find from a company website — a summary of the company, the product or technology, key people and contact information.

I know a good number of the companies profiled in The Cleantech Report. Despite the common perception that cleantech companies are new, some of them have been around for 20 years or more. I’m surprised some are still around considering that they are still waiting for the big commercial breakthrough!

Of the sixty companies profiled, 21 are micro-sized (10 or less employees) and 22 are small (between 11 and 50 employees). Based on this sampling, it appears that a good portion of the sector in Ontario is not far removed from garage operations. Note that I oppose garage technology startups; I realize that Bill Gates founded Microsoft out of his garage.

In my view, cleantech companies, in general, represent great potential for investment. However, there are no by John Nicholson

“In many Canadian

jurisdictions,

the regulatory

environment is

not conducive to

a demonstration

testing of a new

technology.”

CTC summer 09 cvr sty pg 23-24.indd 23 12/11/10 12:07 PM


CLEAN TECH CANADA

shortage of dogs and very few stars. In order to avoid the former and find the latter, due diligence is necessary; don’t invest just because a company is in a new “hot space.” The analysis of the product, the people, the regulatory climate, and the competition should be no different for a cleantech company then one in any other well-established sector.

The companies

Below are my insights on some of the cleantech companies I’m familiar with from the The Cleantech Report. In some cases I’ve worked with the companies and in others, I’ve interviewed them for my articles in HazMat Management or Solid Waste & Recycling magazine.Altech. This company has been around for over 20 years. The company has been involved in the development and commercialization of a number of technologies in Canada ranging from soil cleanup to wastewater treatment and air pollution control.Biorem. With its roots at the University of Waterloo, this company has grown to be a world leader in providing engineered biofilters for odour control at wastewater treat-ment plants, abattoirs and composting facilities. Publicly traded, this company is a good example of a Canadian clean technology success story.Bluezone. It’s hard to believe but this company has been around for over 10 years, still arguably in the start-up phase. The company’s advanced technology captures “sleeping gas” used in hospital operating rooms and cleans it for reuse. The environmental benefit of the technology is that it prevents of the release of toxic and GhG gases. Unfortunately, cash-strapped hospitals have a hard time jus-tifying the budget for the technology within any voluntary effort of reducing toxic emissions or GhG gases. Tougher regulations on emission or a cap-and-trade system for GhGs would greatly help this company grow.Environmental Waste International. Listed on the TSX-V, this five-employee company has been around since 1992. Since that time, the company has been developing its microwave technology to treat various waste streams. With limit commercial success in North America it is cur-rently chasing leads in China with the assistance of Inteeds Solutions Inc.Envirotower Inc. If you want to succeed in green tech, have a technology that works better and cheaper then con-ventional methods. EnviroTower delivers on both counts. Its technology cleans water from cooling towers without the need of conventional chemicals at up to 20 per cent less cost. The environmental benefits are an added bonus. Choosing EnviroTower’s water treatment system is a no brainer for a building owner looking to retrofit an existing cooler water system or needing a new one.Fielding Chemical. One might not normally think of a

chemical company as “the good guys.” However, this com-pany can rightly claim to employ a “green collar” workforce as it recovers chemicals for reuse. The company has been recycling chemicals since 1955 at its Mississauga facility; it shows you can be “green” without fitting the cliché of a new, flashy cleantech company.Napier Reid. This is another company that has been around since the 1950s. Specializing in water and wastewater treat-ment, the company integrates technologies into packaged treatment plants. It’s adept at integrating various water treatment technologies, having completed almost 3,000 projects worldwide since its inception.Plasco. Thanks to its president, Rod Bryden, this company was the first advanced thermal treatment company in Ontario to get a demonstration facility built that thermally treated municipal solid waste. If the company can prove that its gasification system in Ottawa works, it may have a future building WTE plants and treating municipal waste for about $65 per tonne.Pontaralo Engineering Inc. This is a good example of a company that takes a waste (plastic) and turns it into a product (a flooring system). Founded in 1995, the 110-em-ployee company supplies a patented structural flooring system made from recycled plastic that replaces gravel and hard fill. The flooring system also provides a barrier against subsurface VOCs, radon gas, and humidity.Quantum Murray. This company is a player in a traditional industry (demolition) that has rebranded itself as a recycler and part of the new economy. Quantum Murray, like any major demotion company, recycles major components of buildings but — in its case — also provides remediation and other environmental services.REMCO. When I first met the representatives of this LED lighting company in 2003, they valued their company to have a potential worth of $1 billion. After five years, they have three employees and have a way to go before reaching their anticipated worth. Who knows what the future holds.Stormfisher. The vast majority of cleantech start-ups con-sist of technological entrepreneurs looking for financing. Stormfisher is an exception. It was founded by three MBA graduates looking to get into the bioenergy space by first having money and then finding technologies. With $350 million to invest, they are arguably the most richly funded developer of biogas energy projects in the world.Tadger. I’ve witnessed first-hand the ability of the TADGER to reduce pollution emissions from vehicles. Sales have never taken off partially because of the myriad of other fuel-saving devices on the market. It’s too bad — I own shares in the company.

John Nicholson, M. Sc., P. Eng. is based in Toronto, Ontario. Contact John at [email protected]@ARTICLECATEGORY:814;


CTC summer 09 cvr sty pg 23-24.indd 24 12/11/10 12:08 PM



CLEAN TECH CANADA


ENERKEM’S SECOND-GENERATIONWASTE-TO-BIOFUELS TECHNOLOGY

Government mandates are driving global growth in demand for second-generation fuels. In Canada, the federal government has enacted a target blend of five per cent ethanol in gasoline by 2010. In

Quebec, the 2006-2015 Energy Strategy sets a target blend of five per cent ethanol by 2012. In December 2007, then-US President Bush signed into law a Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) calling for at least 36 billion gallons of ethanol and other biofuels to be used nationwide by 2022, including a minimum of nine billion gallons in 2008, and 20.5 billion gallons by 2015.

Corn-based ethanol has paved the way to alternative fuels, but is now considered a bridge to next-generation ethanol. These second generation biofuels are made from non-food feedstocks such as residual biomass and muni-cipal solid waste and address some of today’s main eco-nomic and environmental challenges. They help reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GhGs), while contributing to a greener economy. Further, producing fuels locally rather than importing foreign oil increases energy independence.

While several operational first-generation biofuel plants use food feedstock such as corn and sugar cane, very few second-generation ethanol plants have been built to com-mercial scale. However, the wide range of feedstocks from which second-generation fuels can be created means these fuels have a number of benefits over first-generation fuels.

Benefits of second-generation biofuels

Whereas first-generation biofuels, or “agrofuels,” are pro-duced from sugar-rich crops such as corn, sugar cane and wheat, second-generation fuels are not produced from plants that are part of the food chain. Second-generation fuels can be created from a large base of biomass materials, including residues from urban living, forestry, and agricultural sources, municipal solid waste and energy crops such as switchgrass.

The wide range of feedstocks that can be used to create second-generation fuels leads to a number of benefits.

First, second-generation biofuels contribute to reducing GhGs by replacing gasoline produced from petroleum. National Resources Canada’s GH Genius model shows that corn ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions (GhGs) by 40 to 60 per cent compared to gasoline. The federal government’s commitment to requiring gasoline to contain an average of five per cent ethanol by 2010 will bring GhG reductions equivalent to removing one million cars from Canada’s highways each year. These biofuels can further contribute to reducing GhGs by using waste materials and residues that would otherwise decompose into methane (a potent GhG) when landfilled.

Second, by diversifying our energy sources, second-gen-eration biofuels lessen our dependence on petroleum as our main source of energy. Finally, second-generation biofuels can reduce, and ultimately eliminate, the use of landfill for many waste materials by converting them into fuel for automobiles.

Enerkem’s technology platform

Enerkem, a waste-to-fuel and green chemical company based in Montreal, has pioneered a clean technology platform designed to use a wide variety of feedstocks (from sorted municipal solid waste to agricultural and forest residues). The technology is not only feedstock flexible, but also employs a multi-product platform that can produce many valuable transportation fuels and green chemicals. The company has tested more than 20 types of feedstock at its pilot plant, which has been in operation in Sherbrooke since 2003, and has produced syngas, methanol and etha-nol. It is operating its first commercial plant in Westbury.

Enerkem’s gas conditioning process allows it to pro-duce a tailored syngas that can be converted into alcohols using established and readily available industrial catalysts at the proper temperatures and pressures. Enerkem can produce methanol and ethanol, other advanced fuels, such as synthetic diesel, dimethyl ether, and synthetic gasoline, as well as other green chemicals. Enerkem’s clean technol-ogy converts one tonne of raw material (dry base) into 360 litres of cellulosic ethanol — enough to drive a distance of approximately 2,500 kilometres (a drive from Winnipeg to Montreal). Additionally, Enerkem’s gasification technology allows it to produce renewable electricity. The end-product mix makes it possible for Enerkem to develop a wide range of projects based on market conditions from biorefineries to renewable electricity plants.

In addition to producing renewable transportation biofuels and reducing landfilling, the process has a posi-

FUELING THE FUTURE

“This is the world’s

first agreement

between a large

urban centre and

a biofuel producer

to turn municipal

waste into

ethanol.”

by Marie-Helene Labrie

CTC summer 09 Green pg 25-26.indd 25 12/11/10 12:08 PM


CLEAN TECH CANADA


tive energy balance, since gasification requires less energy than it produces. It also requires minimal use of water, and depending on the feedstock, it can be a net producer of potable water. In comparison, the production of corn etha-nol uses 300 percent more water than Enerkem’s process. Finally, according to an independent lifecycle analysis, the process reduces the production of CO2 by three tonnes for each dry tonne of municipal solid waste processed.

Municipal negative-cost model

Enerkem’s recently announced plants in Edmonton and Mississippi demonstrate the range of projects facilitated by the diverse feedstocks its technology uses. Enerkem’s tech-nology platform is designed to use non-homogeneous waste as feedstock, thus enabling the company to use negative-cost feedstock such as municipal solid waste and things like used electricity poles. Municipalities pay Enerkem a tip fee to remove their waste and free up scarce landfill space, relieving municipalities of some costs related to waste disposal.

“This strategy could give the company an edge in case ethanol prices drop further,” says Jim McMillan, a manager at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s National Bioenergy Center. “Instead of paying money to put it in a hazardous-waste landfill, to make fuel out of it is a great thing. The fact that their model is based on negative-cost feedstocks is very attractive.”

In June 2008, Enerkem signed a 25-year agreement with the City of Edmonton to build and operate a plant that will produce and sell next generation biofuels, including methan-ol and cellulosic ethanol, from sorted municipal solid waste. This is the world’s first agreement between a large urban centre and a biofuel producer to turn municipal waste into ethanol. As part of the agreement, the city Edmonton will supply a minimum of 100,000 tonnes of sorted municipal

solid waste per year. The sorted municipal solid waste to be used is the ultimate residue after recycling and composting. These residues would otherwise be landfilled.

Greenfield Ethanol and Enerkem will be jointly re-sponsible for financing the project and for constructing, owning, and operating the plant which will be located at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. The plant will initially produce 36 million litres of biofuels per year. (See companion article in the Summer 2009 edition of HazMat Management magazine, page 44.)

In March 2009, Enerkem announced plans to build and operate a $250 million second-generation biofuels produc-tion facility located in Pontotoc, Mississippi — its first in the United States. The facility will produce 20 million gallons of ethanol per year from 370,000 green tonnes of feedstock (200,000 tonnes of urban biomass and 170,000 tonnes of forest/agricultural biomass).

Enerkem’s approach may provide a solution to some of the challenges that the production and commercialization of cellulosic ethanol has faced, including high manufacturing costs and the volume of feedstock required. The company has also received financial support from governments and agencies including Natural Resources Canada, Sustainable Development Technology Canada, Natural Resources Quebec and the Alberta Energy Research Institute. And with the ability to use municipal waste and telephone poles as feedstock, Chornet believes Enerkem won’t have any dif-ficulties maintaining a constant supply of feedstock.

“The waste streams we’re looking into, fortunately for us, have been up in the last 10 years. That’s a more subtle answer to the question: ‘Are you going to miss waste someday?’”

Marie-Helene Labrie is Vice President, Government Affairs and Communications, for Enerkem in Montreal, Quebec. Contact Marie-Helene at [email protected]@ARTICLECATEGORY:819;

The federal government will require cleaner-burning five-per-cent ethanol gasoline by 2010.

CTC summer 09 Green pg 25-26.indd 26 12/11/10 12:09 PM



CLEAN TECH CANADA


UNDERSTANDING ONTARIO’S NEW GREEN ENERGY ACT

On May 14, 2009, Bill 150 (the Green Energy and Green Economy Act, 2009) received Third Reading in the Ontario legislature and received royal assent. The Act constitutes the second significant

attempt by the McGuinty government to make Ontario a national and international leader in the development of renewable energy through the introduction of a new power procurement program. Moreover, the Act will have a huge impact on all aspects of electricity production and con-sumption in Ontario, and in the process, Ontario will become a guinea pig for jurisdictions seeking to adapt European-style procurement programs for use in North America. Although Energy Minister Smitherman and the government have expended significant energy in bringing the Act and its associated programs to fruition, for various reasons the results of this initiative may be disappointing.

Feed-in tariff program

The Act introduces a new feed-in tariff concept to Ontario’s electricity system through the requirement that the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) develop such a program. Based on feed-in tariff programs in Europe, the program will allow for sale of renewable energy at pre-set rates without the neces-sity of proponents seeking inclusion within a government RFP. Rates will vary based on energy source or fuel type, with further rate differentiations serving as incentives for the development of smaller capacity and community projects.

Based on the information available to date, it’s likely that properly designed, constructed and financed new projects will be able to take advantage of the feed-in tariff without having to dedicate the time and monet-ary resources necessary to com-

pete with other projects within the framework of an RFP. This program will provide an opportunity for many entre-preneurs to bring forward projects that would not otherwise have been feasible, which will create opportunities in turn for equipment suppliers, financing and other services.

Unfortunately, the structure of the program appears very likely to provide less than optimal results for the investment committed. As the tariff rates for some of the classes of renewable energy, in particular small solar, are significantly higher than for others, the new regime runs the risk of overbuilding the highest cost options. This issue is clearly a product of the competing goals of the government to encourage the development of a green economy and to replace and expand the electricity generation infrastructure in the province. As well, incentives built into the Act and the feed-in tariff program to spur community groups, First Nations, co-operatives and other smaller economic actors to develop projects will result in less efficient results from the new program. Proposed domestic content require-ments may raise the cost of developing projects and lead to reduced project development.

FLOWER POWER

by Aaron Atcheson

“For various

reasons the

results of this

initiative may be

disappointing.”

CTC summer 09 Lg View pg 27-30.indd 27 12/11/10 12:12 PM


CLEAN TECH CANADA


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Uploading municipal responsibilities

The Act amends many existing statutes with the goal of reducing for renewable energy projects the restrictions that currently exist when undertaking any industrial project, such as the building of a power plant. The intention is to create a permitting system in which a single renewable energy approval will address all otherwise applicable permit requirements. Unfortunately, there is no indication that the burden of documentation and other information to be submitted will be reduced, and certain additional approvals will still be required in particular circumstances (for example, for projects located on Crown land). The new provisions act to “upload” decision-making from municipalities to the province, effectively expropriating municipal power to de-termine location of these projects. With the stated objective of facilitating the construction of new renewable energy facilities and creating consistent treatment of such projects across the province, these changes will in effect centralize the process of obtaining approvals for new facilities.

Unfortunately, this streamlining exercise is accompanied by unhelpful procedures for appeals of the required provin-

cial approval. Because the new “renewable energy approv-al” may be appealed to Ontario’s Environmental Review Tribunal (ERT), the focus of NIMBY forces in Ontario will move from the Ontario Municipal Board — the appeal entity for changes to zoning by-laws and other municipal decisions — to the ERT. Disregarding the cost and time associated with preparations necessary for a hearing at the ERT, the Act eliminates any formal leave to appeal process and allows any person resident in Ontario to require a hear-ing at the ERT with respect to a renewable energy approval.

While the onus of proof rests with the party alleging that there is “serious harm to human health” or “serious and irreversible harm to plant life, animal life or the natural environment”, project proponents will need to prepare for a full hearing on the facts, notwithstanding that there may be little or no substance to the claim.

Ontario Energy Board’s role

Prior to passage of the Act, the objective of the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) was essentially to operate an efficient system. The Act adds to the OEB mandate by requiring




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CLEAN TECH CANADA


P R E S E N T E D B Y

Wednesday, November 4, 2009Westin Bristol Place Hotel, Airport Road, Toronto

EcoLog’s Annual Environmental Compliance Conference is back!Mark your calendar on November 4, 2009 to learn about upcoming Ontario government regulations pertaining to Brownfi elds and Waste! Don’t miss this full day of expert opinions, information, business case studies, networking and more!

For registration, contact Simuoko Frayne at 416-510-6867 or [email protected] sponsorship information, contact Jamie Ross at 416-510-5221 or [email protected]

it to promote the conservation of electricity, to facilitate the implementation of a smart grid and to promote the use and generation of electricity from renewable energy sources.

The additional mandate items will dramatically change the OEB’s role in terms of economic regulation. It’s far from clear how the new mandate items can be integrated with the old and there will likely be a period of adjustment and confusion.

Other notable elements of the Act include:The new Renewable Energy Facilitation Office will have

broad powers to assist or encourage the development of qualifying renewable energy projects. The usefulness of this office will depend on the staffing and other resources provided to it.

The Act mandates the development of a “smart grid” in the province. The concept behind the smart grid system is to adjust or rebuild the system in order to minimize trans-mission inefficiencies. While the Act sets forth this object-ive, implementation is to be spelled out in the regulations.

The Act introduces for the first time a number of mechanics directed at improving conservation throughout Ontario. As one example, energy audits will be required on

the sale of residential premises. The concept of “conserva-tion and demand management” (CDM) targets is intro-duced for distributors of electricity and CDM targets can be specified as conditions of licences held by the distributors.

Overall, the changes initiated by the passage of the Act comprise an interesting experiment in facilitating and incentivizing renewable energy development, energy con-servation and the growth of a green economy in Ontario. Despite its faults, the Act is likely to improve the speed at which renewable energy projects are developed in Ontario, and other North American jurisdictions will keep a close watch.

Aaron Atcheson is Partner and Chair of the National CleanTech Practice Group with Miller Thomson LLP in London, Ontario. Contact Aaron at [email protected] (Written with the assistance of David Rounthwaite and Andrew Roman.)@ARTICLECATEGORY:807;






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Kingston holds a special place in my memories. It was the city in which I grew up and knew well before I left for university in the mid eighties. My father played saxophone in the Vimy Band so

my fonder memories included going to their practice hall and every once in a while to hear them play at the Grand Theatre. It was also the city where I went on my first date.

All these memories came back to me as I prepared to write this col-umn on the city’s introduction to the green bin program.

When I left Kingston no one had even considered the blue box. Now just 25 years later many communities are moving beyond that first plateau towards the next. It’s exciting when something that has been done many times before is still exciting. The launch of the first phase of Kingston’s green bin program in April has released a palpable energy — on the same level as for the blue box — and an underlying pride that residents are now able to do more to reduce their impact on the environ-ment. Source-separated organics (SSO) diversion will soon move the city towards its goal of 65 per cent waste diversion by 2012 and also avoid the generation of landfill methane.

Green bins and kitchen containers were distributed to 37,000 house-holds.

“In the first month alone residents diverted almost 300 tonnes, a 17

per cent diversion from what would have gone to disposal last year.”

by Paul van der Werf

The Purposefully HipThe City of Kingston’s new organics diversion program

Program details“Presenting the residents of Kingston with clear information is key,” says Derek Ochej, the City’s public education and promotion coordin-ator. “Our new Trim Your Waste publication helps residents know what to put where; this helps minimize contaminants in the various waste streams including the green bin.”

Allowable SSO wastes include fruit and vegetable peelings, bread, meat bones and dairy products. Over and above these standard items the city also accepts soiled paper products like pizza boxes, tissues and paper towels and other items such as dryer lint and hair. (Apparently some novelty items like toe clippings are okay too.) Continuing the cur-rent municipal trend, the city eschews the inclusion of diapers and any type of plastic in its green bins.

SSO wastes are directed to the Norterra Organics facility near Kingston, which is owned by the Scott Environmental Group.

Wastes are directed to a receiving building where they’re blended with other wastes. They’re then conveyed to Phase 1 windrows with a wheeled loader. Compost is screened using a trommel screen prior to marketing.

The SSO is composted at a 20,000 tonne/year GORE™ Cover

C O M P O S T I N G M A T T E R S

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System. The site which has a relatively small footprint consists of eight 50m x 8m x 3m aerated windrows, six of which are covered. All wind-rows have in-floor aeration, controlled by oxygen content in the com-post windrow. The wastes are composted for a total of eight weeks.

The incoming SSO is first mechanically prepared and homogen-ized before being laid on the aeration floor using a wheel loader. After the GORE™ Cover is pulled over the windrow an oxygen/temperature probe is inserted into the material and an automated aeration system is switched on.

Initially the SSO is placed in Phase 1 windrows, covered, and com-posted for four weeks. The partially composted wastes are then directed to a Phase 2 windrow, covered and composted for a further two weeks. Finally, these uncured composts are directed to an uncovered Phase 3 windrow for a further two weeks of composting and curing.

The waste receives aeration for the full eight weeks. The aerators are controlled by means of oxygen and temperature parameters, for which the necessary data is obtained directly from the main body of the wind-row using stainless steel probes. The data is fed into the computer and stored there, documenting the course of the operation.

Given the sometimes harsh Canadian winters, Norterra Organics made some winter design modifications to conventional Cover System standard windrow design by constructing one-metre side walls along the lengths of the windrow. This design feature has two functions:

1. It keeps the cover elevated and away from the surface to prevent ice and snow building up on the cover, and

2. It provides additional containment of any leachate.In addition to accepting SSO from Kingston, the facility is set up to accept a variety of other wastes including leaf-and-yard wastes, com-mercial food wastes and sludges.

So far the program seems to be rolling out smoothly.“I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the take-up by residents of our

green bin program,” says Ochej. “This positive start is encouraging and gives us confidence that we will be able to build this program.”

Al Hamilton, manager of Norterra says, “I’m amazed at the neg-ligible contamination rate in the material we’re receiving. I expected more but this is helping us to manufacture high quality compost.”

While the positive start is exciting green bin programs are being looked at differently by the province. As Minister of the Environment John Gerretsen recently pointed out, “Kingston’s composting program is an excellent example of looking at waste in an entirely new light.”

That new light is a green light. Ochej points out, “Residents are marveling at how little garbage

they’re now producing. In the first month alone residents diverted al-most 300 tonnes, a 17 per cent diversion from what would have gone to disposal last year.”

And this is high quality waste diversion. As Hamilton points out, “The compost we’re producing is high quality and we’re working on getting our Compost Quality Alliance certification to demonstrate that.”

Paul van der Werf is president of 2cg Inc. in London, Ontario. Contact Paul at www.2cg.ca@ARTICLECATEGORY:784;

C O M P O S T I N G M A T T E R S

swr jun-july 09 CMat pg 31-32.indd 32 12/11/10 12:14 PM


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P R O D U C T S

Free booklet on cut-resistant glovesBefore you invest time and money in highly specialized — and expensive — cut-resistant gloves, you should know a thing or two. But where do you find the information you need without investing hours on the internet? Worse yet, with all the technology and innovation of the last few years, how do you sort through the myriad choices?

Superior Glove Works has the answer: a book of answers that is. “The Superior Book of Cut Protection” was created with input from industry experts, as well as Superior’s own in-house expertise — the result of nearly a cen-tury in the glove trade.To order a free copy go to www.superiorglove.com/sales/index.asp

Briquetting system for waste managementThe new Eco-Saver™ Briquetting Systems from Security Engineered Machinery (SEM) reduce large volumes of loose waste to small, manageable briquettes. Available in three models, an Eco-Saver briquetting press can be paired with any new or existing SEM disinte-grator. With a high-pressure hydraulic ram it compacts shredded paper, cardboard, and other

light materials for recycling or easy disposal.Eco-Saver Briquetting Systems can reduce

paper waste volume by up to 90 per cent, thus reducing storage, transportation, and disposal costs. In-plant air quality, housekeeping, and the risk of combustion can all improve, since fine dust produced in the disintegration process can be efficiently collected and incorporated into the briquettes along with larger particles. Furthermore, the briquettes have secondary value. An efficient source of heat, they can be sold as fuel for certain stoves and furnaces. Some paper mills buy briquettes and turn them back into pulp to make recycled paper.Visit www.semshred.com

Eco-friendly spill palletsEcoPolyBlend™ Pallets™ from Justrite Mfg. are made of 100 per cent recycled polyethylene, making them twice as good for the environment. They not only protect against groundwater con-tamination, they also utilize post-industrial ma-terial that might have otherwise been discarded into the waste stream. Quality and performance are uncompromised; these robust pallets are EPA and SPCC compliant and meet or exceed fire codes with oversized, leak proof sumps to capture hazardous spills. Sturdy, thick grates remove for easy sump cleaning.Visit www.justritemfg.com

Atlas Block to use recycled glassIn a bold move that will break barriers for build-ers and the environment, Atlas Block announces they will be the first in the industry to incorpor-ate post-consumer recycled glass in their entire line of products including concrete masonry units, masonry veneers and landscape products. Intensive research has led to the development

of a lightweight block that utilizes revolution-ary Poraver® technology, a post-consumer recycled material manufactured from glass col-lected through municipal blue box programs, and is exclusive to Atlas Block.

The introduction of up to 30 per cent post-consumer recycled glass (including unusable coloured glass), substantially reduces con-sumer landfill waste and increases eligibility for LEED® Recycled Material credits. If Atlas Block used only one per cent Poraver® in their products, it would decrease consumer glass waste in Ontario landfill sites by 1.9 million bottles annually. Poraver® technology pro-cesses recycled consumer glass by crushing it into a fine powder, refining it into light weight pellets that expand and generate a fine-pored granulate which is used in the production of concrete mix. The result is a high performance concrete product that is non-toxic, chemically stable, mold proof, odourless, has excellent noise and heat insulation values and is un-affected by moisture.Visit www.leed.atlasblock.com

Guide to recycling PVC, plasticsA book on recycling of PVC and mixed plastic wastes has been compiled from contributions from an array of scientists from several countries who are playing a lead-ing role in plastic re-cycling. They offer practical solutions to many difficult problems in this field. The book is made up of 11 chapters. Anyone involved in production of materials from virgin poly-mers who is concerned with their recyclabil-ity should read this book. The ideas and data presented will help the process of planning



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future recycling efforts and help to bring the recycling process from a costly nuisance to a profitable industry.Contact Amy Cole at [email protected]

Vermeer electric-powered horizontal grinderVermeer has introduced an electric-powered horizontal grinder for wood waste recycling. The HG6000E drum is powered by two elec-trical motors producing 600-horsepower (447.4 kW) while two separate electric motors power the hydraulic circuits and cooling system. The unit is available in a skid-mount configuration for placement in a permanent location while the trailer-mount configuration allows for periodic movement. Both configurations require a hard wire installation. To maximize productivity,

the exclusive SmartGrind feature stops and re-verses material from feeding into the patented duplex drum when motor amperage exceeds an efficient operating range. The reversible ham-mers and cutter blocks on the Duplex Drum last nearly twice as long as single-sided designs. A

multifunction, wireless remote control allows the operator to control most operating functions from a maximum operating distance of 300 feet (91.4 m).Visit www.vermeer.com

HOW TO SEND PRODUCT RELEASES

Please email your product releases (no snail mail!) to our editor Guy Crittenden at [email protected]

Include a short text description and high-resolution colour photo in a stan-dard graphics format (e.g., JPEG, TIFF, EPS, etc.)




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“Toronto and London will encourage FCM members to phase-out the sale and

purchase of bottled water at their own facilities.”

by Rosalind Cooper, LL.BR E G U L A T I O N R O U N D U P

Waste Initiatives across CanadaBC commissions recycling studyThe Ministry of the Environment in British Columbia commissioned a study by an Ottawa-based consultant to review the province’s Recycling Regulation and encourage “Design for the Environment” initiatives. The results of the study are detailed in a document entitled “Design for the Environment (DfE) Best Practices Lessons for British Columbia’s Min-istry of the Environment.”

DfE initiatives are intended to improve the environmental perform-ance of a product throughout its entire lifecycle. Design strategies include selecting low impact materials, using clean production technologies, opti-mizing distribution systems and enhancing use-phase attributes. A sig-nificant component also involves ensuring that the product has minimal impact on the environment once it reaches the end of its use.

The study identified opportunities to incorporate design for the en-vironment practices through amendments to the Recycling Regulation or through voluntary initiatives, and identified challenges in initiating design for the environment programs. These challenges include setting appropriate standards, stakeholder engagement, and providing incen-tives for producers. The study provided suggestions for overcoming the challenges identified.

Ontario e-waste program startsOn April 1, 2009, Phase I of Ontario’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment program took effect. The program is managed by Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES) and is expected to divert an additional 160,000 tonnes of waste electronics from landfills over the next five years. A network of collection sites to drop off unwanted electronics have been established and include municipalities, retail stores such as Sears Canada and Staples, and community service organizations such as Salvation Army Thrift Stores. The program is funded through fees paid to OES by “stewards,” which include brand owners and first importers into Ontario.

NWT fibre recycling launchedThe Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in the Northwest Terri-tories has launched a new paper and cardboard recycling initiative. Funding for the initiative will be available for municipalities, organizations, business-es and individuals through the Waste Reduction and Recovery Act. Funding is for the development of alternative end-of-life uses for large volumes of paper-based materials that are recovered or diverted from waste streams.

Ontario approves scrap tire programSubmission of an industry-funded used tires program plan to Ontario’s environment minister was discussed in the April/May edition of Regula-tory Roundup. The Used Tires Program Plan has now been approved and includes tires of all types for passenger and commercial on-road and off-the-road motorized vehicles.

The program will be administered by Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) commencing in September 2009. The program is targeted to re-cycle 91 per cent of used car and truck tires into higher end uses in the first year of the program’s operation, and to clean up three million used tires stockpiled across Ontario. The program will also recycle large industrial and off-road tires that are not currently collected or recycled, and will include funding for public education programs and research regarding means of recycling tires in a “greener” manner. An added fea-ture is encouragement of development of green technologies in Ontario.

Manufacturers, brand owners and importers will pay an estimated $74 million in the first year to run the program by paying a fee to OTS based on each tire introduced into the market. The fee established is $5.84 for a passenger vehicle tire, with fees increasing for larger tires. (See Waste Business column, page 20.)

FCM takes aim at bottled waterThe Board of Directors of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has passed a resolution proposed by the Cities of Toronto and

Pub−2009−E.jpg

swr jun-july 09 RegRdup pg 36-37.indd 36 12/11/10 12:16 PM


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tion of these chemicals. There would also be new emission limits for opacity and for carbon monoxide.

The revisions would provide special con-sideration for experimental units and small units in remote areas in northern Ontario, and provide additional guidance on continuous or long-term monitoring requirements. The pro-posed revisions would also include further guidance on determining site-specific emis-sion limits for cement kilns using municipal wastes as alternative fuels.

Rosalind Cooper, LL.B., is a partner with Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, with offices across Canada. Ms. Cooper is based in Toronto, Ontario. Contact Rosalind at [email protected]@ARTICLECATEGORY:800;

London to encourage members of FCM to phase-out of the sale and purchase of bottled water at their own facilities, where potable water is available.

The resolution provides that the produc-tion and transport of bottled water consumes significant amounts of non-renewable fossil fuels, creating unnecessary air quality and cli-mate change impacts, and that the recycling of bottled water containers is not sufficiently advanced in that 40 to 80 per cent of empty bottles end up in landfills.

Ontario revises incineration guidelineThe Ministry of the Environment has posted notice of proposed revisions to its guideline entitled “Guideline A-7: Combustion and Air Pollution Control Requirements for New Mu-nicipal Waste Incinerators.” The guideline,

which was initially published in 1996, was last revised in 2004. The intent is for the guideline to be renamed “Air Pollution Control, Design, and Operation Guidelines for Municipal Waste Thermal Treatment Facilities.” The revisions would update air emission limits and oper-ational requirements for thermal treatment fa-cilities processing municipal waste, including facilities that combust by-products generated as a result of the thermal treatment of muni-cipal waste.

Proposed revisions to the current guide-line include more stringent emission limits for cadmium, lead, nitrogen oxides, organic mat-ter, and particulate matter based on limits used in other jurisdictions and capabilities based on current technologies. In addition, a more stringent limit would be adopted for dioxins and furans to move towards virtual elimina-

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D I V E R S I O N“Products from recycled

cardboard use about 25 per cent less energy than virgin

materials.”

by Ani Chakmakian

Delivering SustainabilityPizza 73 double-decker boxes reduce packaging waste

When Pizza 73 opened its first location in 1985 the company embarked on a path of innovation that quickly led to new products, marketing concepts and its signature double-decker

pizza boxes. The boxes have remained to this day a symbol for the brand and an example of early environmental stewardship. While many cus-tomers enjoy the hot and fresh products inside, what’s on the outside is just as appealing.

The original double-decker pizza boxes are believed to be the first and only boxes in the Canadian pizza industry to integrate packaging

efficiency, functionality and convenience with environmental sustain-ability. Through its two-tiered layers, customers receive two pizzas — or a pizza and a wing meal — all in one compact container. This distinctive feature uses fewer materials to serve twice as much food, while reducing the amount of energy and water needed to create the boxes. Both the pizza and wing boxes are made from 100 per cent recycled materials with 94 per cent of its content coming from post-consumer fibre.

“Pizza 73’s double-decker boxes are an example of how you don’t have to sacrifice performance, convenience or great taste for sustain-ability,” affirms Pat Finelli, chief marketing officer for Pizza 73. “These innovations are a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit and demonstrate how sustainable business practices lead to better business and industry leadership.”

Last year, Pizza 73 and parent company Pizza Pizza spared more than 100,000 trees simply by using recycled materials in their boxes. Pizza 73 was acquired in 2007 by Pizza Pizza Limited, making it Canada’s number one pizza chain in terms of sales. Combined, Pizza 73 / Pizza Pizza operate more than 600 traditional and non-traditional restaurants.

As everyone knows, corrugated cardboard is a thin, stiff material made from paper pulp which is a combination of ridged (corrugated) materials in between two flat facings. This type of material is recyclable and naturally biodegradable when it doesn’t contain any food and is in dry condition. While many pizza boxes are recyclable, what makes Pizza 73 boxes special is that they have evolved over time to use fewer materials and an improved grade of corrugated cardboard. Today these boxes are lighter, while still maintaining the temperature, humidity and freshness of the meal inside.

By recycling corrugated cardboard, consumers can help conserve natural resources like water and energy, reduce the amount of carbon sequestered from the atmosphere, and supply an excellent source of fibre for recycling. According to Environment Canada, products from recycled cardboard use about 25 per cent less energy and create half as much pollution than if they were made from virgin materials.

Pizza 73 aims to satisfy each and every customer by providing excel-lent quality food and true value in a fast and friendly manner. Founded in 1985, from coast to coast. The company is a leader in the commun-ities in which it operates by providing in-kind support and volunteers to numerous charities, events, youth programs, and sports teams at the corporate and franchise level.

Ani Chakmakian is with Torchia Communications in Edmonton, Alberta. Contact Ani at [email protected]@ARTICLECATEGORY:2243;

The original double-decker pizza box.

“Our Al-jon 525 will pay foritself in 3 to 5 years – just onsaved air space!”

K E E P I N G I T S I M P L E . B U I L D I N G I T S T R O N G.

Get details today. • Al-jon MFG., LLC • 14599 2nd Avenue • Ottumwa, Iowa USA 52501

641-682-4506 or 800-255-6620 in North America • www.aljon.com

Al-jon puts real teeth into compaction with its patented

lugs. “We’re getting 1,800 to 2,000 pounds of compaction

daily, compared to 1,200 to 1,400 pounds with our old

yellow machine,” Mike Paral states.

“It rips materials to shreds with no big pieces left.”

The benefit? “We proved to our Board that our Al-jon unit

will pay for itself in 3 to 5 years – just on saved air space,”

he adds.

Repairs and service? “Al-jon bends over backwards to

make sure our machine is running,” he explains. “And if it

ever isn’t, they get it fixed within a day. Al-jon service is just

phenomenal!”

THE ADVANTAGE SERIES

ADVANTAGE 600 – 127,500 LBS.

ADVANTAGE 525 – UP TO 110,000 LBS.


Mike ParalFacility ManagerKewaunee County Solid WasteKewaunee, WI

20998 Paral SolidWasteRec.qxd:Layout 1 3/11/09 11:57 AM Page 1

swr jun-july 09 Diversion pg 38-39.indd 38 12/11/10 12:18 PM



“Our Al-jon 525 will pay foritself in 3 to 5 years – just onsaved air space!”

K E E P I N G I T S I M P L E . B U I L D I N G I T S T R O N G.

Get details today. • Al-jon MFG., LLC • 14599 2nd Avenue • Ottumwa, Iowa USA 52501

641-682-4506 or 800-255-6620 in North America • www.aljon.com

Al-jon puts real teeth into compaction with its patented

lugs. “We’re getting 1,800 to 2,000 pounds of compaction

daily, compared to 1,200 to 1,400 pounds with our old

yellow machine,” Mike Paral states.

“It rips materials to shreds with no big pieces left.”

The benefit? “We proved to our Board that our Al-jon unit

will pay for itself in 3 to 5 years – just on saved air space,”

he adds.

Repairs and service? “Al-jon bends over backwards to

make sure our machine is running,” he explains. “And if it

ever isn’t, they get it fixed within a day. Al-jon service is just

phenomenal!”

THE ADVANTAGE SERIES


ADVANTAGE 525 – UP TO 110,000 LBS.


Mike ParalFacility ManagerKewaunee County Solid WasteKewaunee, WI

20998 Paral SolidWasteRec.qxd:Layout 1 3/11/09 11:57 AM Page 1

swr jun-july 09 Diversion pg 38-39.indd 39 12/11/10 12:18 PM

http://www.aljon.com


H O U S E H O L D H A Z A R D O U S W A S T E

“Such facilities don’t always have appropriate space for storing discarded propane tanks, and

may spend up to $20 per tank for disposal.”

Tanks for the MemoriesProgram recycles propane tanks

Blue Rhino, a leading brand of propane tank exchange, has the solu-tion for the hundreds of unwanted gas grill propane tanks that are dropped off at recycle and waste disposal centers

across North America: the Rhino Recycle program. This economical and ecologically friendly program is designed to recycle and refurbish the tanks.

The Rhino Recycle program alleviates the need for collection sites to dispose of gas grill pro-pane tanks on their own. For the past two years organizations have been using Rhino Recycle with great success. From coast to coast, the program has picked up thousands of tanks from recycle facilities and landfills.

“This program is not only good for the environment, it also saves organiza-tions the time and money they would have to invest to dispose of unwanted tanks independently,” says Chris Hartley, vice president of marketing at Blue Rhino.

Rhino Recycle refurbishes propane tanks, extending the useful product life. This process not only keeps waste down but also minimizes safety hazards associated with storing tanks at recycle centers and waste dis-posal sites.

Many transfer stations, landfills and other facilities face the situation where people drop off empty, unwanted propane tanks because they don’t know where else to take them. Such facilities don’t always have appropriate space for storing dis-carded propane tanks, and may spend up to $20 per tank to contract companies to pick them up and dispose of them. Rhino Recycle only requires a small per-tank fee in some cases but in

most cases it’s free. Some organizations save up to $720 per pick up. Rhino Recycle’s minimum pick up is 36 propane tanks.

Some communities have mobile household hazardous waste drop-off events where contractors collect items. In 2009,

Rhino Recycle will be at select events to accept and appropriately handle gas grill propane tanks.

A survey of program users was conducted at the beginning of 2009 to identify the primary benefits of

the program. Respondents across the board iden-tified that the program is an affordable and

convenient solution. Blue Rhino has made the program easier to use by developing a three-step process for collecting, storing and appropriately refurbishing or dispos-ing standard propane grill tanks.

1. Collect and store: Accept and safely store gas grill propane tanks that meet the Rhino Recycle Acceptance Guidelines. Minimum quantity of 36 is required to schedule a pick-up.

2. Schedule pick-up: Once the min-imum pick-up is reached, organizations can call 1-888-753-7159 or email the company at [email protected] to schedule a pick-up.

3. Watch them drive away: At the sched-uled time Blue Rhino will pick up the tanks

from the facility. The tanks will then be refur-bished by shot-blasting, repainting and retrofit-

ting outdated valves and components. If the tank does not meet safety and quality standards, Blue Rhino

will reclaim any unused propane and recycle the steel.Visit www.bluerhino.com/recycle@ARTICLECATEGORY:2244;793;

swr jun-july 09 HHWaste pg 40.indd 40 12/11/10 12:20 PM



http://www.bluerhino.com/recycle


LavaLife for WasteiWasteNot Systems waste exchanges

Five-year-old iWasteNot Systems in Mallorytown, Ontario and Van-couver, BC provides materials (waste) exchanges and recycling websites to communities, governments and various organizations.

It’s like a dating service for waste with added website resources such as directories, news, events, recycling guides and more. Some might call it a “Green Craigslist” except it packs in more resources such as news, events, directories, guides, etc.

Website metrics track and report on waste management and green-house gas savings by municipality and/or company. An all-inclusive annual fee provides everything except local management and market-ing of the service. Software as a service model combined with com-munity building provides more for less.

The networks created thus far include over 70 websites and over 70,000 account holders who access information over millions of indi-vidual browsers. Clients include cities, counties, states and provinces, environmental groups, universities, and organizations such as the City of Chicago, the New York City Materials Exchange Development Program (City of New York), the Environmental Protection Agency, the Recycling Council of British Columbia, the Universities of Maryland, Louisville, Florida State, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Washington

State, Georgia, the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, etc.

Here are some of the networks that iWasteNot Systems has created:www.�reuses.com — Trade residential stuff and get reuse and

recycling information in Canada.www.�iwastenot.com — Trade residential stuff and get reuse and

recycling information in the United States.www.�2good2toss.com — With the State of Washington, and 20

communities including Olympia, Tacoma, Walla Walla, etc., trade residential stuff and get reuse and recycling information.

www.�reusemarketplace.org (under development) — Working with the U.S. EPA, the Northeast Recycling Council and the States of Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and others, trade business materials and get reuse and recycling information.

www.�biomasstrader.org — Trade biomass and find news, events, directories and guides.

www.�sharedharvest.net — Trade local and rescue food and tap into the local food community.

@ARTICLECATEGORY:788;

I C & I W A S T E

groundworks/MC7564/SWR 12/5/08 10:23 AM Page 1

swr jun-july 09 IC&I pg 41.indd 41 12/11/10 12:20 PM


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Ph: 613-538-2776 www.laflecheenvironmental.com

Reduce - Reuse - ReplenishReduce - Reuse - ReplenishPutting waste to work!

BIO REACTOR AD 8/2/06 3:25 PM Page 1

Continuous Clean Energy Power Plant

Greey EnWasteunit of Greey CTS Inc.

David Greey, P.Eng

EMail:[email protected]

416-595-0535

GREEYENWASTE/MC7562/SWR.indd 1 12/2/08 9:32:53 AM

E V E N T R E P O R T

Baycon Environmental offers personalized, responsiveservice, budget sensitive project solutions and years ofinvaluable project management experience.

www.Baycon.caTelephone: 416.405.8880 • Fax: 416.405.8830

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Baycon-HMM 12/1/08 3:12 PM Page 1

On May 27-28 the Municipal Waste Asso-ciation (MWA), formerly the Association of Municipal Recycling Coordinators

(AMRC) held its Spring Workshop at the Hockley Valley Resort, near Orangeville, Ontario.

The first day centered around a golf tourna-ment with which the weather was not coopera-tive, but everyone was in good spirits at dinner in the Montclair Ballroom with an offbeat magic show presented by “Zoltan the Adequate.”

On the second day, after the MWA AGM, the group heard from John Vidan, Director, Waste Management Policy Branch, Ontario Ministry of the Environment about “What’s Next for the Waste Diversion Act” and then from Glenda Gies on Waste Diversion

Municipal Waste Association 2009 Spring Workshop Pam Russell (Golder Associates) mixes with other

delegates during a coffee break in the trade show.

Producer responsibility panelists (left to right): Usman Valiante (Corporate Policy Group); Pat Parker (City of Hamilton), Rob Rivers (Halton Region), Rob Cook (OWMA), and Guy Crittenden (Solid Waste &

Recycling magazine).

swr jun-july 09 News pg 42-44.indd 42 12/11/10 12:21 PM


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Project1 11/13/06 10:28 AM Page 1

The AMRC is now the MWA...

www.municipalwaste.ca with a new website to match our new name

E V E N T R E P O R T

Ontario’s April report to the minister about the Blue Box Program Plan review.

Highlights of the afternoon included a panel discussion moderated by Usman Valiante, Corporate Policy Group, on moving towards 100 per cent producer responsibility — the im-plications of transferring control of the blue box program. Ontario is poised to make packaging and other stewards fully responsible to pay for curbside recycling costs, and the point was made that if industry is going to pay the whole shot, it will want control of the system. The panelists included Pat Parker (City of Hamilton, which owns its own MRF), Rob Rivers (Region of Halton, which contracts out collection and pro-cessing), Rob Cook (OWMA, who offered the contractors’ perspective) and Guy Crittenden (editor of Solid Waste & Recycling magazine).

Other session included an update on recyc-ling markets from Guelph’s Phil Zigby (who also chairs the MWA Markets, Operations & Contracts Committee) and updates on stew-ardship program plans: WEEE — David Neilson; StewardEdge; MHSW — Phases 2 & 3; Do What You Can — Lyle Clarke, Stewardship Ontario; and Tires — Andrew Horsman, Ontario Tire Stewardship. Sherry Arcaro (MWA Chair) addressed Best Practices and Optimizing WDO funding, and Andy Campbell (CIF) made the final presentation updating the Continuous Improvement Fund.For more information about the Municipal Waste Association and upcoming events, visit www.municipalwaste.ca

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Helping Manage Industry

Glenda Gies speaking about the WDO’s submission on the Blue Box Program plan review.

The Spring Workshop was well-attended but MWA announced it will take a break from its Fall conference due to the overall economy this year.



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Ergonomic, resilient, and collector-friendly, the lockable container is designed for max-imum pest resistance and for successful comprehensive waste reduction programs. The Green Bin+ is supported with expertise in program planning, promotion, education, rollout and distribution, and is designed for automated/semi-automated collection with North American lifters. Though designed for residential use, it’s perfect for many commer-cial applications.

Features include a secure, 360° double-rim closure for optimum security against pests, spilling, and odours, and a unique, secure, easy-to-use locking handle with under- and over-handed latch operation. The easy-grasp top handle is accessible from multiple direc-tions and ergonomic side handles allow for easy transport to the curb. Inside, cornerless, smooth interior walls provide ease of clean-ing. The large capacity (80 litre/21 gallon) container is RFID compatible and has re-tention clips for compostable liners and 8” wheels for easy mobility. The lid, front and sides can be hot-stamped, and the lid can be embossed with custom graphics. (Available in other colours.)To learn more about containers from Norseman, contact Art McKenzie at [email protected] or visit www.norsemanplastics.com

Norseman PlasticsThe Environmental Division of Norseman Plastics is well known among recycling pro-fessionals, having supplied a range of blue box and green bin products for various curbside

For more information, contact: James AyresCertified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a Specialist in Municipal and Environmental Law

416 869 5967 or [email protected]

Leaders in Municipal, Planning & Environmental Law

www.casselsbrock.com

CASSELS BROCK/MC7575/HMM.indd 1 1/22/09 11:30:21 AM

MWA Trade ShowThe Municipal Waste Association Spring Workshop featured a small trade show component.

recycling and source-separated organics pro-grams. The company was recently acquired by Wisconsin-based ORBIS Corporation.

The Green Bin+ is Norseman’s newest container in the popular Green Bin family.

The Green Bin+ is Norseman’s newest container in the popular Green Bin family.




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Advertisers’ Index June/July 2009

Company Page # Company Page #

ADL Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

AECOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Aljon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

AMRC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Avery Weigh-Tronix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Bandag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Battery Broker Environmental Services Inc . The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Baycon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Borden Ladner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Cdn Renewable Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Cassels Brock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Canadian Waste & Recycling Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Continental Biomass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Environmental Compliance Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

EMF Containers Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Environmental Business Consultants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Eriez Magnetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Fast Pace Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Greey EnWaste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Groundworx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

HMI Management Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Lafleche Environmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Laurin Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Mack Truck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Metro Waste Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Miller Thomson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Norseman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

OWMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Paradigm Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Paul Van der Werf (2CG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Rechargeable Battery Recycling Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Recycling Equipment Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Rehrig Pacific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Samuel Strapping Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Schuyler Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Sebright Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Soft-Pak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Trux Route Management Systems Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Van Dyk Baler Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Walinga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Who’s standingup for YourBusiness?

Ontario Waste Management AssociationOntario Waste Management Association

If you own or manage aprivate sector wastemanagement companyinvolved in any facet ofsolid or hazardous wastemanagement – let us standup for you …join OWMAtoday!

OWMA has a primarymission to support a strongand viable waste serviceindustry and to ensure thatOWMA member companiesare recognized as industryleaders.

If you own or manage aprivate sector wastemanagement companyinvolved in any facet ofsolid or hazardous wastemanagement – let us standup for you …join OWMAtoday!

OWMA has a primarymission to support a strongand viable waste serviceindustry and to ensure thatOWMA member companiesare recognized as industryleaders.

Contact: Michele Goulding(905) 791-9500 www.owma.org

OWMA AD 6/5/07 7:33 AM Page 1

METRO redefines the word ‘waste’

METRO Waste Paper Recovery Inc. is Canada’s largest collector, processor and marketer of recyclable materials.

Serving Industrial, Commercial, Municipal and Graphics markets across Canada and the US for over 30 years.

Toronto Office: (416) 231.2525 • Toll Free: 1.877.226.6608www.metrowaste.com

• Byfocusingontherecoveryofrecyclablematerialsbeforereachingthewastestream

• Maximizingthevalueoftherecyclablematerials• Identifyingefficiencies• Developingnewmarketsfornewmaterials

Together,wecanredefinetheword‘waste’andbecomeGreen…by Nature.

swr jun-july 09 Ad idx pg 45.indd 45 12/11/10 12:26 PM


http://www.owma.org

http://www.metrowaste.com


“’In Canada, I don’t know of a single

company planning to do this,’ Ostiguy says.”

by Erika BeauchesneB L O G

NanoparticlesA new guide urges a precautionary approach

This magazine has identified the concern previously about possible occupational hazards from nanoparticles or “NPs.” (See editorial “Nano! Nano!” in the February/March 2009 edition.) As scientists

struggle to measure these potential hazards, a research institute in Que-bec has released a best practices guide to help prevent their exposure in the workplace. Quebec is investing heavily in nanotechnology. Most Quebec universities have research teams working on the development of new nanoparticles, new products, or new nanotechnological applica-tions. More than 60 nanotechnology companies have been established or are in start-up phase in the province.

NPs are classified as solid particles with at least one dimension of less than 100 nanometers that may be applied in a range of products from paints to computer processors and medical diagnostic tools. While these technical marvels may be useful, work-ers in research laboratories and production and transformation processes could be exposed to NPs. There’s also a downstream threat to waste industry professionals once the particles enter the waste stream, and to the public if they escape into the natural environment.

Claude Ostiguy, PhD, co-author of the new guide and a researcher at the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST), says that information on the toxicity of NPs is still extremely limited. However, Ostiguy points out that experi-ments on animals have found that NPs can be distributed through differ-ent organs, retained in the lungs, and lead to effects such as pulmonary inflammation, fibrosis, pneumonia, and kidney disease. NPs can contrib-ute to explosions and fires, posing an environmental risk as well.

So far, researchers have determined that NP toxicity is related to factors like the number of particles, size distribution, and surface area. A smaller NP is more likely to contribute to an explosion because it con-tains more potentially reactive activity, while an NP with a greater per-cent of surface molecules will interact differently with biological fluids.

But because toxicity varies from one NP to another, current scientific models can’t predict that toxicity, Ostiguy says.

Some other challenges to evaluating a worker’s exposure include discriminating between NPs and other dusts, measuring low concentra-tions in some work environments, and using cumbersome, expensive measuring equipment that can be unsuitable for workplaces.

Ostiguy says that even when using a quantitative risk assessment model that looks at everything from emission factors in production lev-els to an NP’s interaction with macromolecules, it’s still impossible to quantity exposure or effects.

“We are dealing with some major uncertainty,” Ostiguy says, adding that where there is uncertainty, workplaces should adopt a preventative, even precautionary approach.

Providing training and information, ensuring the regular cleaning of work areas, and maintaining equipment are some of the administrative measures that can help reduce worker exposure.

But training may be trickier in some workplaces like university lab-oratories, where there is “a mobile population of students coming in and out,” he points out.

University labs also face other challenges, like the use of protective equipment.

Different types of respirators, from facemasks to full bodysuits, may be able to prevent exposure, but Ostiguy asks, “Can you see a student wearing a full bodysuit? Imagine the panic of someone walking by the classroom!”

The manufacturing industry is not without its challenges, either.Ostiguy says that NPs can get trapped in equipment, putting main-

tenance workers at risk because they are “the more exposed but also the less informed.”

Some workplaces may be able to prevent or reduce exposure through good engineering tech-niques like the design, enclosure or ventilation of an area where NPs may be produced.

Ostiguy says that, ideally, NPs should be cre-ated in a closed circuit, recovered and used in a humid environment, then integrated into the final product — all without human handling. He ad-mits, however, that this is nice in theory, but dif-ficult in production.

“In Canada, I don’t know of a single company planning to do this,” he says.

Globally, the most common preventative practice is the use of lab-oratory fume hoods, followed by glove boxes, vacuum systems, and white rooms, according to consultations with companies and research-ers in nanotechnology.

Yet, in terms of legislation directly regulating NPs, Ostiguy says that there is almost none in the world, adding that the lack of scientific data makes setting exposure limits impossible.

Nor are producers required to inform people that a product could contain NPs.

“The supplier cannot go farther than science has,” Ostiguy says.He also says there is ongoing research into public safety concerns sur-

rounding over 800 different products like sunscreens and golf clubs that could contain NPs. As well, researchers are looking into the environment-al impacts from the entire lifecycle of nanoparticle-containing products.

Despite all the uncertainties and challenges surrounding NPs in the workplace, Ostiguy says that “the good news is that our current know-ledge allows exposure to be controlled.”

The new guide “Best Practices Guide to Synthetic Nanoparticle Risk Management” is available at the IRSST website, www.irsst.qc.ca

Erika Beauchesne is a writer with Eco Log in Toronto, Ontario. This article is adapted from a story that first appeared on our affiliate environmental news service at www.ecolog.com Contact Erika at [email protected]@ARTICLECATEGORY:788;

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