COUNTY OF SIMCOE
To:
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
Section:
Consent - Corporate Services – Solid Waste Management
Item Number:
CCW 14-089
Meeting Date:
February 11, 2014
Subject:
Waste Diversion Ontario – 2012 Municipal Datacall Results
Recommendation:
THAT Item CCW 14-089 regarding the results of Waste Diversion Ontario’s 2012 municipal datacall, be
received for information.
Executive Summary:
On January 22, 2013, Waste Diversion Ontario (WDO) released the results of the 2012 municipal
datacall. The County of Simcoe, with a 2012 overall residential diversion rate of 57.65%, ranked
seventh in the province and first amongst comparators in the “Urban Regional” WDO municipal
grouping.
Background/Analysis/Options:
On January 22, 2013, Waste Diversion Ontario (WDO) released the results of the 2012 municipal
datacall. In total, 230 municipalities or municipal groups reported their residential waste diversion rate,
including the percentage of blue box materials diverted to residential garbage disposed. The following
report summarizes these findings and presents some analysis.
The County of Simcoe, with a 2012 overall residential diversion rate of 57.65% (an increase from
2011’s 56.9%), placed seventh in the province. This is the fourth year in a row that the County of
Simcoe has ranked in the top ten. In a related measure, which staff believe to be at least as important
as the diversion rate, the kg/capita of material disposed, the County of Simcoe rates 54 out of the 230
responding municipalities.
For reference, Table 1 summarizes the County’s diversion rate and consequent ranking since 2006.
February 11, 2014
Committee of the Whole CCW 14-089
2
Table 1: County of Simcoe Diversion Rate and Ranking
Year
Diversion Rate (%)
Ranking
2012
57.6
7th out of 230 Ontario municipalities
2011
56.9
4th out of 231 Ontario municipalities
2010
58.4
2nd out of 223 Ontario municipalities
2009
57.1
2nd out of 216 Ontario municipalities
2008
46.9
14th out of 216 Ontario municipalities
2007
40.5
42nd out of 206 Ontario municipalities
2006
33.1
75th out of 201 Ontario municipalities
The County’s diversion rate has been relatively stagnant with no significant increase since the inception
of the organics program in 2008. It is well above the 2012 provincial average of 47.2% diversion.
For reference, Tables 2 and 3 below summarize the curbside program restrictions, frequency of
curbside collection, and resulting performance of the top seven municipalities.
Table 2: Comparators for 2012 Top-Ranked Municipalities – Residential Diversion Rate
Rank
Municipality
Restrictions on
Curbside Garbage
Frequency of Collection
garbage
organics
recycling
Green Bin
Program
Details
Total
Residential
Diversion
Rate
1
City of Guelph1
no limit
(clear bags)
bi-weekly
weekly
bi-weekly
SSO2,
leaf and yard,
& pet waste
67.72%
2
City of Owen
Sound
PAYT3
$2.50/garbage tag
(maximum 4 bags)
bi-weekly
n/a4
bi-weekly
n/a4
63.09%
3
Town of Mono
2 bags
garbage/pick-up
(clear bags only)
bi-weekly5
weekly
weekly
SSO2
60.62%
4
Municipality of
Meaford
PAYT3
$2.00/garbage tag
(maximum 3 bags)
bi-weekly
weekly
weekly
SSO2
59.73%
5
Township of East
Luther Grand
Valley
2 bags
garbage/week
(clear bags only)
weekly
weekly
weekly6
SSO2
58.73%
6
Restructured
County of Oxford
PAYT3
$1.50/garbage tag
(no limit)
weekly
n/a4
bi-weekly
n/a4
58.10%
7
County of
Simcoe
1 bag
garbage/week
weekly
weekly
weekly
SSO2
57.65%
Notes:
1. Cart collection system commenced in the fall of 2012 and will be phased in over 3 years. Households with bag
collection still receive weekly pick-up. Residents can select size of cart.
2. Source-separated organics (SSO).
3. True “pay-as-you-throw” (PAYT) system – all bags set-out require a tag.
4. No collection of curbside source-separated organics (n/a).
5. Frequency in 2014 increased to weekly as waste management services now assumed by Dufferin County.
6. Urban areas – garbage, organics, and recycling are collected weekly. Rural areas – garbage and organics are
collected one week and blue box and organics are collected the following week.
February 11, 2014
Committee of the Whole CCW 14-089
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Table 3: Comparators for 2012 Top-Ranked Municipalities –
Tonnes of Residential Waste Generated, Diverted, and Disposed
Rank
Municipality
1
2012 Datacall Results
Total Residential Waste
Generated
(kg/capita)
Diverted
(kg/capita)
Disposed
(kg/capita)
City of Guelph
356
241
115
2
City of Owen Sound
323
204
119
3
Town of Mono
336
204
132
4
Municipality of
Meaford
307
183
124
5
Township of East
Luther Grand Valley
317
186
131
6
Restructured County
of Oxford
444
258
186
7
County of Simcoe
469
270
199
Table 4 below presents the County’s standing in regards to other municipalities with similar WDO
criteria (population, population density, location, etc.), the “Urban Regional” group as assigned by
WDO.
Table 4: 2012 Datacall Results – Summary of “Urban Regional” Municipal Group
Rank
Municipality
2012 Datacall Results
Total Residential Waste
Total
Residential
Diversion
Rate
Generated
(kg/capita)
Diverted
(kg/capita)
Disposed
(kg/capita)
7
County of Simcoe
57.65%
469
270
199
15
Regional Municipality
of Durham
53.63%
380
204
176
16
Regional Municipality
of Waterloo
52.52%
348
183
165
25
Regional Municipality
of Niagara
49.89%
438
219
220
47
City of Ottawa
42.91%
366
157
209
87
Essex-Windsor Solid
Waste Authority
36.97%
399
148
252
February 11, 2014
Committee of the Whole CCW 14-089
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Although the County continues to be a leader in diversion with the highest kg/capita diverted than all
top municipalities, waste disposed is significantly higher (84 kg/capita higher than the top-ranked City of
Guelph). This may be attributed, in part, to the absence of other disposal options (i.e. private landfills
or transfer stations) located within this municipality. The residential waste generation rate has
increased 11.9% over 2011 and consequently, the Solid Waste Management Strategy’s target of a
minimum 1% annual decrease in this rate, is currently not being attained.
Most recent audit data indicates that almost half of curbside garbage comprises material that could be
diverted through existing programs, with only 44% of available curbside organics being captured. The
top-standing City of Guelph attributes a 19% increase in their diversion rate over 2011 to a “reactivated”
organics program. Further to this, work will continue in 2014 on encouraging greater participation in the
County’s green bin program.
Financial and Resource Implications:
There is no direct financial impact as a result of this information Item.
Relationship to Corporate Strategies:
This Item fulfills the Solid Waste Management Strategy’s recommendation that key system
performance indicators should be monitored and/or measured and that results of the monitoring
initiatives be reported on an annual basis. Best practices also dictates that a review of the blue box
program be undertaken regularly and communicated to Council.
Reference Documents:
Waste Diversion Ontario Announces 2012’s Top 20 Municipalities for Diverting Residential Waste
http://www.wdo.ca/files/5513/9040/7416/Datacall.MunicipalRelease.Jan2014.pdf
Waste management information for the following municipalities:
City of Guelph
http://guelph.ca/living/garbage-and-recycling/
City of Owen Sound
https://www.owensound.ca/environment
Town of Mono
http://www.townofmono.com/content/waste-management
Municipality of Meaford
http://www.meaford.ca/operations/waste-management.html
Township of East Luther Grand Valley
http://www.townofgrandvalley.ca/local-services/large-garbage/
Restructured County of Oxford
http://www.oxfordcounty.ca/ServicesforYou/GarbageandRecycling.aspx
Dufferin County
http://www.dufferincounty.ca/residents/waste
Presentation to Council – June 27, 2013 Special Session of Council
http://www.simcoe.ca/ws_cos/groups/public/@pub-cos-sta-com/documents/web_content/rsc381019.pdf
February 11, 2014
Committee of the Whole CCW 14-089
5
Attachments:
There are no schedules attached to this Item.
Prepared By: Stephanie Mack, P.Eng. – Special Projects Supervisor
Approvals:
Date
Rob McCullough, Director, Solid Waste Management
Debbie Korolnek, General Manager, Engineering, Planning and Environment
Trevor Wilcox, General Manager, Corporate Performance
Mark Aitken, Chief Administrative Officer
January 29, 2014
January 29, 2014
January 31, 2014
February 3, 2014