swana 2015 excellence award entry recycling system · 2015 excellence award entry – recycling...

2015 Excellence Award EntryRecycling System

Population: 1.4 million Total Budget: US$2.8 million (CAN$3.1 million) Cost per Household (After Funding Grant): US$3.35 (CAN$3.70)

Title

Region of Peel Material Recovery Facility Upgrade Entrant Organization Region of Peel

SWANA

Kevin Mehlenbacher [email protected] 905‐791‐7800 ext. 7950

Regional Municipality of Peel (Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon) Ontario, Canada

Jurisdiction

Description

Contact

1 2015 Excellence Award Entry – Recycling SystemRegion of Peel Material Recovery Facility Upgrade Region of Peel

Executive Summary

The Region of Peel is comprised of the

Cities of Mississauga, Brampton and the

Town of Caledon. With a population of

over 1.4 million, the Region provides waste

collection services to over 333,250 single‐

family households, 96,000 multi‐

residential units and 2,500 commercial and

institutional properties.

In 2006, the Region began operating the

Peel Integrated Waste Management

Facility which consists of a material

recovery facility for processing single‐

stream recycling, an organics composting

facility and a waste transfer station.

With an aging material recovery facility

operating near capacity, combined with

the need to add new materials to its blue

box program and the planned

implementation of a bi‐weekly cart‐based

collection system in 2016, the Region

completed a material recovery facility

capital upgrade in 2014, at a cost of $3.1

million. The upgrade resulted in annual

savings of $233,000; annual avoided costs

of $2.15 million and extended the facility’s

operating life to 2020.

Before Upgrades

During Upgrades

Completed Upgrades


Design and Planning of Recycling System

Planning Process

The Region of Peel is located in southern Ontario, Canada, and is

part of the Toronto metropolitan area. It is comprised of the Cities

of Mississauga, Brampton and the Town of Caledon. With a

population of over 1.4 million, the Region provides waste collection

services to over 333,250 single‐family households, 96,000 multi‐

residential units and 2,500 commercial and institutional properties.

In 2006, the Region began operating the Peel Integrated

Waste Management Facility which consists of an organics

composting facility, a waste transfer station and one of the

largest Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) in Canada. The

Region contracts out the operations and maintenance of

the MRF to Canada Fibers Ltd. Canada Fibers was awarded

a five (5) year Operations and Maintenance Agreement in

the fall of 2010. While Canada Fibers oversees the day‐to‐

day operations and maintenance, the Region is responsible

for improvements and upgrades to the MRF.

The Region manages over 110,000 tons (100,000 metric tonnes) of recyclable material each year

and annual revenues associated with the sale of recovered recyclable material equate to over

US$8.1 million (CAN$9.0 million). The Region takes an aggressive approach to resource recovery

and is always looking for opportunities to enhance its recycling program. In 2013, the decision

was made to add Mixed Rigid Plastic (MRP) to the program. Based on waste composition audits,

it was estimated that there were approximately 4,000 tons (3,600 metric tonnes) of MRP in the

Region’s waste stream, of which 1,750 to 2,300 tons (1,600 to 2,100 metric tonnes) per year

would be recovered. This represented an additional 8.8 to 11.5 pounds (4.0 to 5.25 kilograms)

per household per year and a 0.3 to 0.4 percent increase to the annual waste diversion rate.

As part of the process of adding MRP to the program, the Region retained an environmental

consultant to conduct a study on current and future packaging and recycling trends within the

Region. According to the study, the household generation rate of thermoform blister packaging

and non‐bottle plastic packaging would increase over the next decade, and MRP were

increasingly becoming the material of choice for a variety of packaging applications.

The Region also canvassed several of the surrounding cities and municipalities. As a result of

increasing volumes of MRP in the waste stream and the establishment of stable recycling end

markets, the Cities of Toronto, Hamilton, Kingston and Ottawa, as well as the Regional

Municipalities of York, Halton, Niagara, Waterloo and Durham have all added MRP to their blue

box programs. These cities and municipalities were only able to accommodate the addition of

MRP to their programs after completing upgrades to an existing MRF or completing construction

of a new MRF with the capability to recover MRP.


The Region’s waste collection and processing service providers were also consulted on the

operational impacts of adding MRP to the recycling program. The waste collection contractors

all indicated that the addition of MRP would not affect waste collection operations. Conversely,

the Region’s MRF operator indicated that the addition of MRP to the blue box program would

have significant impacts at the MRF. Without the implementation of capital improvements the

MRF would be required to operate at a reduced speed to accommodate the addition of MRP.

The reduction in the material throughput would result in the MRF reaching its maximum

processing capacity by 2016.

Maintaining the MRF capacity was critical as the Region would also be changing to a bi‐weekly

cart‐based collection system in 2016. With the implementation of this new collection system, it

is projected that the amount of recyclable material received at the MRF would further increase

by 11,000 tons (10,000 metric tonnes). This represents an additional 1.8 to 2 percent increase

to the Region’s annual waste diversion rate. With the addition of MRP to the Blue Box Recycling

Program and anticipated changes to its waste collection system, the Region recognized the need

to update its blue box processing technology in order to improve material recovery, increase

throughput and extend the overall operating life of the MRF. The MRF capital upgrades

contemplated replacing several high maintenance inefficient equipment components with state

of the art size reduction and material separation technologies.

MRF Upgrade Design

After development of a business case supporting the addition of MRP to Blue Box Recycling

Program and the MRF equipment upgrades, the project received formal approval from Regional

Council on June 27, 2013. As per the MRF Operations and Maintenance Agreement, the Region

would manage the MRF upgrade project through the MRF operator who would coordinate the

equipment delivery and installation. Proposals were solicited from preselected MRF equipment

vendors based on the following scope of work outline:

Addition of a second optical sorter for recovery of MRP;

Replacement of a magnetic trommel with a steel disc glass breaking screen and

overhead magnet for improved separation of glass, metals and plastic;

Addition of a secondary glass clean up system for improved glass quality;

Addition of a finishing/polishing screen for final separation of fibre and containers; and,

Modifications to chutes, conveyors and air blowers for efficient movement of materials.

Proposals and preliminary designs were received from two major MRF equipment vendors. As

part of the design process, both vendors were consulted on optimizing material flows, space

utilization, equipment specifications and overall design. Both vendors submitted several

proposal options, equipment layouts and budgets. After reviewing the final proposals,

Machinex Industries Inc. of Plessisville, Quebec was selected as the preferred vendor. The

Machinex proposal met all requirements of the MRF upgrade and was within the approved

budget for the project. The MRF upgrade project was scheduled to be completed by March 31,

2014 with a projected budget of US$2.8 million (CAN$3.1 million).


Material Flow through the MRF Upgrades

The finalized design layout incorporates a seamless connection to the existing MRF equipment

and effectively utilizes the existing building space by locating the new equipment over two

levels. The material flow through the MRF upgrades is as follows:

1. Mixed containers coming from the existing CP Group v‐screen are conveyed to the new

glass breaking disc/fines separator screen that breaks all glass bottles and jars. All material

under the size of two and a half (2.5) inches is then directed to the existing glass sorting

station and new glass cleanup system. The remaining containers are conveyed towards the

new ballistic separator.

2. The new glass cleanup system incorporates a KRS ORSE screen. This screen vibrates the

broken glass while air is blown over the material. The vibrations cause the lighter materials

to rise above the glass and the air stream blows the material away.

3. The ballistic separator uses a series of stepping paddles to separate any flat items from any

three‐dimensional (3D) materials. Flat items move up an incline to a transfer conveyor

while 3D materials tumble backward onto a new sorting conveyor where manual sorters can

remove rejects or any remaining flat items.

4. After the manual sorting station, the container stream passes under a new overhead

magnetic separator where ferrous containers are removed and transferred to a new quality

control station. The ferrous containers are then conveyed to the existing storage bunker.

5. The container material then continues to a new eddy current separator for aluminum

recovery. The recovered aluminum passes through a new quality control station where foil

and residue is removed from the aluminum cans. The aluminum cans are then transferred

to the existing storage bunker via a blower and pipe run.

6. Container material, now free of metals continues toward a new single eject optical sorter

and its high speed conveyor that distributes material evenly before it passes through the

unit. This optical sorter is for the recovery of PET containers. The recovered PET is directed

to a new quality control station where residue is removed. The now clean PET is then

transferred to an existing storage bunker with the help of a blower and pipe run.


7. The remaining container material is now conveyed to a new dual eject optical sorter. This

optical sorter is for the recovery of tetrapak/gable top containers and mixed rigid plastic (#1,

#3, #4, #5, #6 and #7) containers. Tetrapak/gable top containers are ejected upward and

forwarded to an existing quality control conveyor. Mixed rigid plastics are ejected

downward onto a new transfer conveyor. The recovered tetrapak/gable top and MRP

containers then pass through quality control stations where residue and undesired

containers are removed. Following the quality control stations the tetrapak/table top and

MRP containers are conveyed to existing storage bunkers. Non‐ejected containers are

forwarded onto an existing conveyor that brings the material into the existing container

sorting room.

Highlights of the Design Layout and Equipment

The design layout incorporates many innovative and unique features. These features include:

Use of Equipment/Systems and Technologies

The original MRF was designed and the processing equipment supplied by the CP Group. The

Region now partnered with Machinex Industries Inc. to install the MRF’s new equipment

components. A total of 30 new equipment pieces were installed in this MRF upgrade. Besides

new conveyors and air blowers, the following

equipment pieces were installed:

Machinex Glass Breaking Disc/Fines Screen: The

new glass breaking disc/fines screen was installed

to replace the CP Group magnetic trommel that

was originally installed to separate glass and

recover ferrous containers. The new screen is five

(5) feet wide and 15 feet long and uses two (2)

decks of six (6) inch diameter Hardox steel disks

•Quality control locations for all recovered materials

•Space for multiple sorters when required

•Ergonomically designed for sorter health and safety

•Ability to redirect material back into the sorting process

Configuration of Sorting Stations

•First Ballistic Separator installed in Ontario, Canada

•State of the art Optical Sorting technology

•Superior material recovery targets (guaranteed by Machinex)

•Seamless interface with existing MRF equipment and controls

•Reduced operating and maintenance costs

Cutting Edge Technology

•Optimizes existing building design

•Minimal loss of existing bale inventory footprint

•Designed for bale storage under platform works

•Maintenance platforms for all new equipment incorporated into design

Maximization of Existing Building

Glass Breaking/Fines Screen


that are closely spaced together to maximize glass breakage and separate material smaller than

two and a half (2.5) inches from the larger container materials. Utilizing one (1) 5HP high

efficiency variable speed motor per deck, heavy‐duty bearings, an automatic oiler and an

automatic tensioner, the screen is capable of removing more than 95% of all glass at a

throughput of 11 tons (10 metric tonnes) per hour; is low maintenance and has greatly reduced

the amount of MRF downtime caused by numerous material jams associated with the original

magnetic trommel.

Glass Cleanup System: With the installation of the

new glass breaking disc/fines screen, the increased

amount of non‐glass material in the recovered glass

required the installation of a new glass cleanup

system. The new system incorporates a KRS ORSE

screen that is designed to separate materials with

different specific weights. Using a vibration feeder,

the flow of broken glass is transported against an air

stream and the lighter‐weight materials (paper,

plastic caps, foils, plastics) are blown off the glass.

The screen measures 49 inches by 98 inches in size and uses 6‐pole unbalanced motors and a

variable speed fan blower. The screen can process material at six and a half (6.5) tons (6 metric

tonnes) per hour.

Machinex MACH Ballistic Separator: The new ballistic separator was installed to replace an air

drum separator and a cyclone that were originally installed in the MRF. This ballistic screen was

the first installed in Ontario and a number of local municipalities and MRF operators have shown

an interest in its operation. The screen is 19 feet long, 10 feet wide and 10.5 feet tall and

utilizes eight (8) paddles to separate up to 10 tons (9.5 metric tonnes) per hour of material

based on physical properties. The friction created between the paddles and any flat or flexible

materials (newspaper, film plastic) combined with

the motion of the paddles push the flat or flexible

materials up the steep incline, while formed and

rigid material (round, square containers) bounce

down the deck. Hydraulic cylinders and a variable

speed high efficiency motor on the screen allow

for angle adjustments to compensate for changes

in material composition and quality. When

compared to the old MRF equipment or new

finishing screens that utilize rubber disks to

separate material, the ballistic screen has

recovered over 95% of all paper and film plastic

from the containers, has increased the overall

quality of the recovered material and has

reduced operation and maintenance costs.

KRS ORSE Screen

Ballistic Separator

Ballistic Paddle Configuration


Steinert Overhead Magnet Separator: The new

overhead magnet separator was installed to replace

the MRF’s original magnetic trommel ferrous

recovery system. The separator is installed inline

and can be suspended up to 19 inches above the

container stream without losing any magnetic

efficiency. The overhead magnet separator

recovers greater than 98% of the ferrous containers

with less than one (1) percent contamination at

eight (8) tons (7.5 metric tonnes) per hour.

Steinert Eddy Current Separator: As part of the upgrade, a larger and more efficient eddy

current separator was installed. An eddy current separator operates by creating a rapidly

rotating magnetic field. These magnetic fields create eddy currents in an electrical conductor

such as aluminum. When an aluminum container enters the magnetic field, an eddy current is

created that causes the container to be repelled away from the magnetic field. The aluminum

container is repelled over a baffle that separates it from the other container material. The

separator feed conveyor is 78 inches wide and can operate at speeds of up to eight (8) feet per

second. The eddy current separator recovers over 98% of the non‐ferrous material at greater

than 96% purity with a throughput of six and a half (6.5) tons (6 metric tonnes) per hour.

Pellenc Mistral 2G Optical Sorters: Pellenc Selective Technologies supplied the two new optical

sorters installed during the MRF upgrade. Both optical sorters are Mistral 2G models that use

high speed Near Infra‐Red Spectrometry (NIR) to measure what an individual container is made

from and then eject specific containers using air jets. These

units are capable of 300,000 measurements per second, have

a resolution of a sixteenth of a square inch, have a superior

signal to noise ratio compared to other optical technology,

and have synchronization between detection and ejection of

one (1) millisecond. The first optical sorter is a single eject

unit for the recovery of PET containers. This optical sorter is

94.5 inches wide and has a throughput of up to seven and a

half (7.5) tons (7 metric tonnes) per hour. It

recovers over 94% of the PET containers at greater

than 95% purity. The second optical sorter

replaces an older MSS Inc. Sapphire optical sorter

and is a dual eject unit for the recovery of

tetrapak/gable top containers and mixed rigid

plastics. This unit is 78 inches wide and has a

throughput of up to six and a half (6.5) tons (6

metric tonnes) per hour. It recovers over 92% of

the tetrapak/gable top and MRP containers at

greater than 90% purity.

Optical Sorter

PET Container Recovery

Overhead Magnet Separator


Regulatory Compliance

In Ontario, an Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) is required from the Ontario Ministry

of the Environment and Climate Change (MOE) for businesses that store, transport or disposes

of waste. The environmental approval sets out the rules of operation for these activities that

are intended to protect the natural environment and are legally enforceable. The Peel

Integrated Waste Management Facility (PIWMF), where the MRF is located, operates under

three (3) ECA’s that it must comply with at all times. These ECA’s regulate the PIWMF as a

waste disposal site, sets air emissions and monitoring requirements, and controls the sewage

works within the site. To date, the Region has not received any orders (citations) from the MOE

related to the operation of the MRF.

The Region is also compliant with Ontario MOE Regulation 101/94, which mandates the

collection and processing of five (5) basic blue box materials, specifically aluminum food and

beverage cans, glass bottles and jars for food or beverages, newsprint, polyethylene

terephthalate (PET) bottles for food or beverages, and steel food or beverage cans. Regulation

101/94 also mandates the collection and processing of two (2) additional blue box items from a

supplementary list. The 12 items on the supplementary list are aluminum foil, boxboard and

paperboard, cardboard, expanded polystyrene, fine paper, magazines, paper cups and plates,

film plastic, mixed rigid plastic containers, telephone directories, textiles and polycoat

containers. The Region collects and processes all of the supplemental blue box items at the MRF

with the exception of textiles and paper cups and plates.

Worker Health & Safety

The MRF operator provides training for all its personnel to

ensure the safe and proper operation of the MRF. In

particular, they ensure that all personnel at the facility are

trained, certified and licensed for the specific equipment

that they operate and that all personnel are trained in

emergency response procedures. Both the Region and MRF

operator take all reasonable precautions to prevent

damage, injury or loss of life at the MRF. In addition, both

parties equally establish, maintain and enforce safety

procedures for the protection of all persons at the MRF.

The Ontario Health and Safety Act mandates the

establishment of a workplace health and safety committee.

The function of the committee is to identify situations that

may be a source of danger or hazard to workers; make recommendations for the improvement

of the health and safety of workers; recommend the establishment of maintenance and

monitoring of programs related to the health and safety of workers; obtain information on the

identification of potential or existing hazards of materials, processes or equipment, and health

and safety experience and work practices and standards in similar or other industries; and finally

Safety Training Topics

Personal Protective

Equipment

Lock Out Tag Out

Confined Spaces

Fall Protection

Emergency Procedures

Workplace Harassment

Workplace Ergonomics

Tip Floor Procedures

Lift Truck Safety

Electrical Safety

Emergency First Aid


obtain information and represent the workers when any equipment or environmental testing in

the workplace is conducted. Both the Region and the MRF operator have established Joint

Health and Safety Committees that meet on a regular basis.

Health and Safety during MRF Upgrade

During the MRF upgrade a significant portion of the work occurred during off hours to ensure

that there was no interruption to the receiving and processing of materials. This resulted in

little interference between the construction and the MRF operations. This limited the potential

for any health and safety issues throughout the project. Throughout the MRF upgrade constant

attention to proper health and safety procedures and practices resulted in no lost time injuries

and no orders (citations) from the Ministry of Labour.

As per the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act, the MRF operator submitted a “Notice of

Project” prior to commencement of construction. This document is required so the Ministry of

Labour is aware of the project and the temporary change in work being done at the facility. The

Health and Safety Act also requires a Pre‐Start Health and Safety Review for all new equipment.

The review, completed by a professional, identifies specific hazards or hazards associated with

exposure to chemicals and other designated substances. After the MRF upgrades were

completed, health and safety reviews were completed on the new optical sorting equipment,

the new Machinex processing equipment and the new glass cleanup system. There were no

issues identified and the equipment was deemed safe for operation.

In Canada, the Canadian Electrical Code requires manufacturers or importers of electrical

products to obtain approvals for electrical safety. Since the MRF upgrade included new

electrical components, an Electrical Safety Authority Field Evaluation (ESAFE) was required. The

field evaluation process follows the CSA SPE‐1000 standard, which has three mandatory and

non‐destructive tests. The inspection of the MRF upgrades was completed and ESAFE approved

the electrical equipment.

Finally, the Machinex scope of work included a provision to provide training for all MRF

personnel on the safe operation and maintenance of the new MRF equipment. This training

occurred over several days and included both classroom and hands on training.

Performance, Economics & Cost‐Effectiveness

Performance Measurement

In an effort to identify MRF operating efficiencies, opportunities for improvement and how the

MRF compares to other manufacturing facilities, several performance metrics have been

developed. These performance metrics measure material throughput, material recovery,

material quality and the financial aspects of the MRF operations and then compares the results

to industry or contractual targets. These metrics are revised and reported on a monthly basis

and consistently show the MRF meets and often exceeds industry standards.


In addition to the monthly performance metrics, MRF

maintenance history and costs are tracked by each piece of

equipment. This helps identify MRF equipment pieces

where significant efforts should be made to reduce costs

through process changes or replacement with new, more

efficient or robust equipment.

Another performance measurement tool is the MRF mass

balance. The mass balance is a computer spreadsheet

model that shows how the MRF performs. It is constantly

updated with metric data, time motion data, and material

composition audit results for the received recyclable

material, residue and recovered material quality. The

mass balance model can identify performance issues with

equipment or manual sorting locations, processes in the

MRF where material loss and cross‐contamination occur, and can help project the impact of a

new material streams or substantial changes in material composition.

Efficiency, Effectiveness and Operational Performance

Performance and Commissioning Testing was completed to verify that the new MRF equipment

had been successfully installed, commissioned and was capable of meeting the minimum

performance requirements, including specific material recovery and quality specifications. The

following is a summary of the performance testing for the new MRF equipment:

•Performance Target: >95% of Glass Recovered

•Actual Performance: 98.3% of Glass Recovered

Glass Breaking Disc/Fines Screen

•Performance Target: <10% Non‐Glass Material in Recovered Glass

•Actual Performance: 8.8% Non‐Glass Material in Recovered Glass

Glass Cleanup System

•Performance Target: >95% of Fibre and Film Plastic Recovered

•Actual Performance: 98.2% of Fibre and Film Plastic Recovered

Ballistic Separator

•Performance Target: >98% of Ferrous Recovered with 99% Purity

•Actual Performance: 99.2% of Ferrous Recovered with 99.8% Purity

Overhead Magnet Separator

•Performance Target: > 98% of Non‐Ferrous Recovered with 96% Purity

•Actual Performance: 98.1% of Non‐Ferrous Recovered at 96.4% Purity

Eddy Current Separator

•Performance Target: >94% of PET Recovered with 95% Purity

•Actual Performance: 96.5% of PET Recovered with 96% Purity

Single Eject Optical Sorter

•Target: >92% of Tetrapak/Gable top and Mixed Plastics Recovered with 90% Purity

•Actual: 92.9% of Tetrapak/Gable top, 85.8% of MRP Recovered with 97.6%, 90.2% Purity

Dual Eject Optical Sorter

MRF Availability (%)

Actual = 85.3% Target = 90%

MRF Actual Throughput vs. Exp. (%)

Actual = 100% Target = 100%

Recovered Material Meets Specs. (%)


Non‐Emergency Repairs (%)

Actual = 100% Target = 85%

Maintenance Cost vs. MRF Cost (%)


Vehicle Wait Times < 20 Min. (%)


Material Recovery (%)


Monthly Metrics for MRF Operations

Performance Metrics


Testing showed that the MRF new equipment met, and often

exceeded performance requirements or contractual recovery

requirements. The MRF upgrades, in addition to the enhanced

material recovery and quality, improved the processing

throughput of the MRF. Prior to the upgrades the MRF processed

material at an average of 34 tons (31 metric tonnes) per hour.

Since completion of the upgrades, the MRF now averages in

excess of 38.5 tons (35 metric tonnes) per hour. This is over a 12%

increase processing capacity, which will enable the Region to

manage its processing requirements until 2020, at a minimum.

Finally, over the 12 month period since completion of the MRF

upgrades, over 1,400 tons (1,265 metric tonnes) of MRP have been recovered. This equates to

approximately US$80,000 (CAN$88,500) in marketing revenues for the sale of this material.

Waste Screening

Waste screening starts with collections personnel performing a cursory sort curbside before any

material is placed into the collection vehicle. This removes obvious unacceptable material

before it arrives at the MRF. Once material is delivered to the MRF it is inspected in the tipping

area by the MRF operator. When a recycling load in whole or in part, is determined to be

unacceptable, colour photos of the entire load, including the collection vehicle number are

taken to verify the presence of unacceptable material. If required, an entire load can be

rejected. Any individual items determined to be unacceptable are removed at the earliest

possible point in the MRF process. The MRF operator trains all personnel in the identification of

unacceptable material, hazardous waste, recyclable material and non‐recyclable material.

MRF Downtime

The impact of MRF downtime is significant. Downtime directly translates into a decrease in

material throughput and increased operational and maintenance costs. In an attempt to limit

MRF downtime and identify potential issues before they occur, the Region ensures that all

recommended equipment preventative maintenance is completed on a timely basis. Even with

an aggressive preventative maintenance program, the downtime associated with the original

magnetic trommel system was a concern. Frequent material jams and broken drive chains

resulted in an average of 68.3 hours of downtime per year. This equates to approximately 18%

of all facility downtime. Since the magnetic trommel was replaced with the new glass breaking

disc/fines screen, downtime associated with this area of the MRF process has fallen by 73%. The

replacement of the old equipment with the new MRF processing equipment has resulted in an

overall decrease of five (5) percent in MRF downtime.

Customer Service

In 2007, the Region introduced the Common Purpose model. It sets out to help staff understand

what they could do, or continue to do, to achieve high levels of employee engagement, client

MRF Throughput

Post Upgrade 38.5 tons/hour (35 metric)

Pre‐Upgrade 34 tons/hour (31 metric)


satisfaction and trust and confidence. The Common Purpose is a part of the Region’s framework

for success, bringing together the Strategic Plan and Regional Values.

Client satisfaction forms part of the Common Purpose Service Value Chain. Client satisfaction is

ensuring that clients and citizens are satisfied with the services they receive. The addition of

MRP to the recycling program and impending change in the waste collection system only builds

on and improves the services that the Region provides its residents. The Region exists to serve

the needs of the community and it values client and citizen feedback about the programs and

services it delivers. As such, regular client satisfaction surveys are conducted to gather feedback

to use to improve service delivery. High levels of client satisfaction result in:

Financial Impacts

When developing the business case for this project, several

factors were included in the analysis. These factors

included processing costs, residue management costs,

maintenance costs, MRP revenues, MRF downtime, MRF

throughput, and equipment amortization. The business

case proved that the project was viable and would result in

significant savings to the Region. The total budget for the

MRF upgrades was US$2.8 million (CAN$3.1 million). The

business case showed a potential annual savings of

US$211,000 (CAN$233,000); annual avoided costs of

US$1.95 million (CAN$2.15 million) and a payback of only

1.3 years. The majority of the business cases identified

savings that were related to the avoided costs from

eliminating the additional staffing and processing shifts that

would have been required if MRP were added to the

recycling program without the MRF upgrades.

As the MRF upgrades were required as a result of adding MRP to the Region’s Blue Box

Recycling Program and the upgrades would result in improved MRF operations, the project was

eligible for funding from the Continuous Improvement Fund. The Continuous Improvement

Fund (CIF) is a program developed through a partnership among Waste Diversion Ontario

(WDO), the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), the City of Toronto and Stewardship

MRF Upgrade Business Case

Processing Costs

$250K Avoided

Residue Costs

$98K Savings

Revenues

$82K Increase

Maintenance Costs

$68K Savings

Extra Processing Shifts

$1.9M Avoided

Capital Amortization

$15K Increase

Improved Productivity

Reduced Cost of Service Delivery

Demonstrated Value for Tax Dollars

Improved Employee Engagement

Improved Trust and Confidence


Ontario. Its mandate is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of Ontario’s municipal blue

box program. The Region submitted an application and received a funding grant for US$1.38

million (CAN$1.52 million) or approximately 49% of the project costs.

Since completion of the MRF upgrades, the original business case for the project was found to

be valid. One item not factored into the original business case was the additional revenue

resulting from the increased efficiency of the new MRF equipment. This was not originally

included as any potential increase in material recovery and revenues were unknown until after

the performance and commissioning testing was completed. The testing showed that over 330

additional tons (300 metric tonnes) of recyclable material would be recovered. This would

result in additional revenues of over US$90,500 (CAN$100,000) annually.

Based on the agreed to project schedule, it was anticipated that the MRF would be unavailable

for processing for nine days. This would cover a full week plus the weekends prior and post

construction. This scheduled shutdown resulted in 4,080 tons (3,700 metric tonnes) of single‐

stream recyclable material being diverted to a third party MRF for processing. This ensured that

there were no delays to the recycling collection services for residents.

Finally, a tender was released for the disposal of the old MRF equipment. This equipment had

been in operation since 2006 and was sold as is, where is. There were a total of two (2) bidders

on the equipment. The equipment was sold for a total of US$9,600 (CAN$10,600).

Public Acceptance, Appearance and Aesthetics

Maintenance Program

The Peel Integrated Waste Management Facility is mandated by its Environmental Compliance

Approvals (ECAs) to ensure the site is properly maintained at all times. As such, the MRF

operator is contractually responsible for a general MRF cleaning and upkeep program that

ensures that the facility is always kept in a clean and safe condition. Using dedicated cleaning

crews the areas of the MRF and site where the MRF operator is responsible for cleaning include:

In addition to the general MRF cleaning and upkeep program, the MRF operator is responsible

for collecting all litter, both onsite and along bordering off‐site roads and properties affected by

the operation of the MRF, on a daily basis. To date, there has never been a litter complaint from

any of the neighboring businesses.

Maintenance Bays and Surrounding Areas

MRF Processing Equipment and Surrounding Areas

MRF Lunchrooms, Washrooms and Change Rooms

All Parking, Roads and Walkway Areas

All Enclosures, Interiors and Exteriors

All Stairways, including Railings


Public Education and Outreach

The Region of Peel Public Works Department

endeavors to share its enthusiasm about preserving

and protecting the environment with its residents

and strives to achieve this goal through school

programs, community outreach, business

presentations and other outreach opportunities.

The goal is to inspire the Region’s children,

residents and businesses to assist in the protection

of the environment and to do their part in the

reduction of waste and the protection of our

drinking water sources. The Region offers a variety

of educational programs around solid waste management, water and wastewater treatment and

environmental protection for people of all ages. These programs include school education,

facility tours, the Peel Children’s Water Festival and other outreach events such as fall fairs,

holiday parades and home shows.

The Peel Integrated Waste Management Facility includes a large education room that is used for

school, youth and adult community groups. The Region has developed education activities

designed to complement the curriculum for grade five (5), grade seven (7) and several

secondary school courses. The activities are facilitated by Region staff and include examining

the life cycle of recyclable material, the impact of purchasing habits and packaging on the waste

stream and analyzing the current waste

composition, diversion rate and waste strategies

impact on the 2021 conservation/recovery target of

75%. These are group problem solving activities

where students gain a better understanding of

waste management issues. These activities

culminate with students presenting their findings to

their peers. The Region hosts over 55 school groups

at the PWIMF on an annual basis and since the

facility opened in 2006, over 500 school groups

have visited the site.

Finally, a successful Mixed Rigid Plastics recycling program depends on the development and

implementation of an effective communications strategy to educate the residents on changes to

the Blue Box Recycling Program. Several communication methods were utilized to educate

residents to place MRP in the blue box, including the Region’s website, water bill inserts, mobile

signs and newspaper advertisements. The Region also partnered with local municipalities in a

joint education campaign. The intent of the campaign was to maximize advertising messaging

and exposure to notify residents that all Greater Toronto Area (GTA) municipalities now accept

and recycle Mixed Rigid Plastics.

Bus Tours of the Facility

School Education Programs

Supplemental Material 2015 Excellence Award Entry – Recycling SystemRegion of Peel Material Recovery Facility Upgrade Region of Peel

Letters of Support

Design Layout Plan

“This is one of Machinex’s most successful retrofit projects” ‐ Charles‐Étienne Simard, Machinex Inc.

“This was a very successful project in all aspects” – Jake Westerhof, Canada Fibers Ltd.

swana 2015 excellence award entry recycling system · 2015 excellence award entry – recycling...

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