Beyond the Blue BoxOntario’s Fresh Start on Waste Diversion

and the Circular Economy

with Dianne SaxeEnvironmental Commissioner of Ontario

November 2, 2017

Webinar

2

Who is the ECO?• Impartial, independent watchdog• Guardian of the Environmental Bill of Rights• Non-partisan, reliable reports to the Legislature

Environment GHG/Climate Energy Special/Other

3

New Report: Beyond the Blue BoxOverview:

1. Environmental consequences of waste

2. Short history of recycling in Ontario

3. Problems with the old law (WDA)

4. The new Waste-Free Ontario framework• What will it change?

• ECO recommendations for next steps

5. Ontario’s transition to a circular economy

6. Final recommendations

1: Ontario has a Waste Problem

5

Ontario Produces a Lot of Waste

• Ontario produces ~12 million tonnes of waste annually

• Almost 1 tonne/person/year

• We throw out 3/4 of this waste • ~6 million tonnes to landfill• ~2.7 million tonnes exported• ~300,000 tonnes incinerated

6

Landfilling has Environmental Consequences

• Soil and groundwater pollution• Decaying organics contribute to

climate change• Uses up precious disposal capacity• Squanders valuable resources

2: A 40-Year History of Recycling in Ontario(in 2 slides)

8

From Blue Box to Waste Diversion Act

• Blue Box began as voluntary program in the 1970s

• Mandatory for most in 1994

• Waste Diversion Act, 2002 (WDA) expanded recycling programs to include:

• Blue Box• Hazardous waste• Tires• Electronics

9

Historical Focus on Recycling

3: Problems with the Waste Diversion Act

11

Problems with the WDA• WDA was intended to increase waste diversion:

Diversion rates have increased only marginally, stagnating at 25%.

• WDA was intended to transfer some costs from the taxpayer back to the producers:

The WDA did shift some costs from municipalities to industry, but taxpayers continue to shoulder a heavy load.

12

Problems with the WDA• Only captured small portion

of materials

• Not true “extended producer responsibility” (EPR)

• Did not address economic barriers

• Structural issues with Waste Diversion Ontario and the Industry Funding Organizations

• Transparency• Accountability

4: A Fresh Start for Waste Diversion in Ontario

14

Waste-Free Ontario: What’s New?In the Law:

• Direct producer responsibility

• Enhanced transparency and accountability measures

• Data collection

• Service provider responsibilities

• Enforcement responsibilities

• Circular Economy

In the Strategy:

• Improving IC&I diversion

• Regulatory review

• Designating new materials

• Organics action plan

• Excess soil management policy

• Procurement

15

Will it Get Us Where We Need to Be?

• Law and Strategy set out ambitious goals and important actions

• But implementation is critical• ECO recommendations related to:

• Organic waste• Recycling standards• IC&I action

16

Recommendations: Organic Waste

• Adopt some form of disposal ban on food waste

• Make the process for approving anaerobic digestion and composting facilities fast and predictable, while still protectingpublic health and environmentalinterests

17

What the Strategy Says About Organic Waste

• Consider disposal bans• Implement an organics

action plan• Modernize regulatory

approaches to promote innovation

• Improve and establish environmental standards

18

Why is this Important?

• 28% of waste is organic material

• 40% diversion rate

19

Why is this Important?• Almost all GHGs from waste are from organics in landfills• Waste contributed 5.2% (8.6 Mt) of Ontario’s total GHGs in 2015

• 7.7 Mt directly fromlandfills

• Mostly methane

20

Why is this Important?

• Reported numbers understate the actual amount and impact of GHG emissions from waste

Source: Figure created by the ECO using information from Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Inventory Report 1990-2014: Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks in Canada, Part 3, 2016; and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis, Chapter 8: Anthropogenic and Natural Radiative Forcing (contribution of Working Group 1 to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), 2013.

21

Why is this Important?

• In addition to climate impact, methane is a:

• health hazard at high concentrations

• contributor to ground level ozone

• Wasted fuel source• Waste nutrients

22

What are the Challenges?• Can’t ban organics until you have somewhere to send them

• To increase capacity, need an efficient, reliable approvals process

• Siting concerns (esp. odour)• Who will bear the expense?

23

Organics: Learning from Others• Disposal Bans have been introduced in:

• Nova Scotia• PEI• Metro Vancouver

• Commercial bans in:• California• Connecticut• Massachusetts• Rhode Island• Vermont

24

Recommendation: Recycling Standards

Develop recycling standards that are clear, enforceableand provide a high level of environmental protection

25

What the Strategy Says About Recycling Standards

• Establish service provider requirements

• Improve and establish environmental standards

26

Why is this Important?

• Strict standards are critical to ensure high-quality materials and good environmental results

• Create a level playing field

27

What are the Challenges?

• Clarity and enforceability• Expense to business• Allowing for innovation

Photo Credit: Shaun Fisher CC BY 2.0

28

Recommendation: IC&I Action Expand and enforce source separation and diversion obligations for the IC&I sectors.

Photo credit: https://www.dal.ca/news/2015/09/01/the-next-generation-of-waste-management-on-campus.html

29

What the Strategy Says About IC&I

• Update the 3Rs Regulations• Implement disposal bans• Designate new materials

30

Why is this Important?IC&I sectors are not pulling their weight

• Over half of Ontario’s waste (6.7 tonnes per year) is from IC&I/CRD sectors

• Low diversion rate: ~15%• Compare to residential waste

diversion rate: 37% or higher

Source: Statistics Canada (data for 2014).

31

Why is this Important?IC&I sectors are not pulling their weight

4

32

What are the Challenges?• Customer/employee

compliance• The “human factor”

• Enforcement• Cost

33

IC&I: Learning from Others

• Nova Scotia• City of Calgary

5: The Circular Economy

35

The Circular Economy

• Law and Strategy create a new vision:• Fundamental change in thinking

• Designing products with durability and reuse in mind → moving beyond just recycling

• Renewed focus on reduce (less stuff!)

FIGURE 5.1. Linear Economy versus the Circular Economy. Source: Sustainable Brands.

36

Recommendations: Circular Economy

• Make the ultimate goal of Ontario’s circular economy policies the creation of profitable markets for all end-of-life materials

• Work with other ministries to integrate circular economy objectives into policy and practice across government

37

What the Strategy Says About CE

• Provide clear direction via policy statements

• Improve and establish environmental standards

• Use green procurement practices

• Implement disposal bans

38

Why is this Important?

• CO2 embodied in goods and materials represents a massive, under-recognized source of GHG emissions

• Extracting raw materials generates GHGs, as well as releases toxic chemicals into the air and water

• Reusing and recycling materials means fewer raw materials extracted from the earth

• Huge economic and employment promise of a low-waste economy

39

What are the Challenges?

• Major cultural, economic, social shift• Design and process changes• Training a skilled workforce• Supporting innovative businesses

40

Learning From Others

• Scotland• European Union• China

6: Will the Environment Win?(A few more recommendationsfor government)

42

Recommendations: Implementing the Strategy

• Document how new waste policies compare to those tried before, and what lessons have been learned from previous efforts

• Set deadlines for the actions

43

Why is this Important?

Learning from past experiences:• More reduction and reuse• More designated materials• Address economic barriers

• Self-sustaining end markets

• Separate policy-making from enforcement• Accountability = publicly available data• Clear lines of responsibility and accountability

44

What are the Challenges?

• Upcoming election• Number and diversity of

stakeholders• No definitive historical

perspective• Differing understandings

45

Time for New Solutions and Actions

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

-Albert Einstein

46

eco.on.ca

47

Questions?

commissioner@eco.on.ca

@Ont_ECO

/OntarioEnvironmentalCommissioner

eco.on.ca/reports/2017-beyond-the-blue-box