City of Vancouver document on plans for our organic waste

Yesterday I shared Envirowoman's post referring to how the City of Vancouver deals with our organic waste (compost) with a contact at The City who replied with the document below.

I thought people might also be interested in learning about the Composting Council of Canada

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ORGANICS DIVERSION IN VANCOUVER AND THE GREATER VANCOUVER REGIONAL DISTRICT

Excerpt from a report to City Council on April 5th, 2007. Full report

2.2.1 Diversion of Organic Waste

Based on 2004 regional waste composition data, organics represent about 45 percent by weight (226 kg/person/yr) of MSW disposed as garbage. This is the largest single material category remaining in the region’s waste stream. However, this category includes many material types other than food waste, including such things as wood pallets, textiles, footware and rubber. It is therefore important to distinguish the compostable versus the non-compostable fractions of organics remaining in the waste stream as follows:

Material

% Remaining

Compostable Organics:

Non-Backyard Compostable Food (meats, breads, dairy, fats)

Backyard Compostable Food (fruits, vegetables)

Yard Trimmings

8.6

7.9

4.8

Total Compostable Organics

21.3

Non-Compostable Organics:

Wood (other than wood from yard trimmings)

Multi-materials (e.g. footware)

Textiles

Other (e.g. leather, rubber including tires, etc.)

14.6

4.8

3.9

0.8

Total Non-Compostable Organics

24.1

Total - All Organics

45.4

Currently, about 46 percent (417,300 tonnes) of total organic material is diverted annually in the GVRD. The annual regional diversion rate of the compostable fraction is 52 percent (248,500 tonnes). The majority of organic waste diverted is made up of yard trimmings, and a relatively small amount is food waste diverted through backyard composting and that which is collected from the commercial and institutional sectors. Considering the majority of organic waste generated (i.e. total produced including amount recycled and disposed with garbage) is yard trimmings, organics composting as a waste diversion measure can be considered as well established in the region.

As an option for further increasing organics diversion, the GVRD is actively considering the challenges and opportunities associated with centralized food waste composting. The GVRD has completed two studies on food waste collection and processing, and a third study looking at market conditions is expected to be completed soon. Regional and City staff have also visited other jurisdictions to review their programs. Further, staff are monitoring a pilot organics collection program for the single-family sector recently implemented in the Capital Regional District.

Based on work completed to-date, the following is a summary of some important considerations:

· Since the implementation of the 1995 Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP), there has been some hope that the private sector might develop more food waste processing capacity. Several composting facilities have started up to serve the Lower Mainland, but have later met with failure or have had very limited success.

· There is insufficient available processing capacity in the region to manage the amount of organic material currently generated.

· Food waste processing facilities, whether anaerobic or aerobic, are more complex to design, site, construct and operate compared to yard trimmings composting facilities.

· From a sustainability perspective it is vitally important to assess and weigh the benefits of centralized food waste processing against the economic costs of separating, collecting and processing another stream of materials, the environmental impacts of the additional fleet of trucks (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions), and the environmental and social impacts of locating a processing facility (e.g. odours).

· Food waste collection and centralized processing programs are very expensive relative to our current waste management systems. Cost drivers include the capital cost of a processing facility, transportation costs, and collection equipment and labour costs. Unit costs are particularly high given the small quantity of material relative to what is diverted in our existing programs. The following is an approximate comparison of municipal collection and processing costs for four MSW streams based on the City’s operations, and costs obtained from other jurisdictions that separate food waste for processing:

Waste Stream & Service Type

Approximate Total

Cost per Tonne

Single family garbage collection and disposal

$ 130

Single family and apartment recycling collection and processing (net of revenue)

$ 120

Single-family yard trimmings collection and processing

$ 230

Residential food waste collection and processing (estimated)

$ 360 to $ 760

· There is considerable risk involved with siting, funding and operating centralized organics material processing facilities. As examples:

- A recently commissioned, privately funded and operated food waste composting facility in Squamish recently shut down due to odour issues. They are not expected to reopen.

- Guelph Ontario’s “wet waste” organics processing facility was shut down earlier this year because of odour problems and other operational difficulties.

- One of the facilities used to process approximately 18,000 tonnes of organic waste each year from the Greater Toronto Area was recently handed a 90 day court order to rectify serious odour problems and are at risk of closing. Due to the challenges with siting and funding sufficient local area processing capacity, a significant portion of Toronto’s residential collected food waste is transported to Quebec for processing.

· There is significant uncertainty with respect market demand for the supply of finished product based on the available supply of feedstock in the City or Region, and at a price point that results in a sustainable return on investment.

· Processing methods that divert large amounts of organic material, including disposable paper dishes and cups, pet excrement, tissues, paper towels, meat and bones, are particularly expensive and the end product has a lower value and questionable use. An alternative approach is to accept a limited number of food waste items for a higher grade end product, but this would result in a diversion rate increase of only about eight percent at reduced economies of scale (higher cost per tonne).

· The City has implemented a national award winning system to recover and utilize landfill gas (LFG) from the Vancouver Landfill. LFG is comprised of about 50 percent methane, which is produced from the anaerobic degradation of organic waste disposed to landfill. A LFG gas beneficial use (cogeneration) system has been operating at the Vancouver Landfill since the fall of 2003. The project initially collected about 2,000 cubic feet per minute (cfm) of landfill gas, equivalent to 200,000 tonnes per year of CO2 (greenhouse gas) equivalents, but now collects about 3,500 cfm of landfill gas equivalent to about 350,000 tonnes per year of CO2 equivalents. The collected gas is used to generate electricity which is sold to BC Hydro and to offset the natural gas heating demands of a local greenhouse. Offsets from the beneficial use system account for about an additional 50,000 tonnes per year of CO2 equivalents. Approximately $300,000 of annual revenue generated from the project offset City landfill gas system operating costs.

In terms of next steps with organics diversion:

· GVRD staff will be bringing a food waste diversion proposal to the Province, the GVRD Board and the municipalities for a decision as part of their work on the new SWMP. That proposal and the timing of implementation will have to be weighed against other possible waste diversion programs which may be more sustainable.

· City staff recently discussed with the GVRD the option of a Vancouver yard trimmings disposal ban at the Vancouver Landfill. However, because this particular issue has regional and enforcement implications, GVRD initiated disposal bans are preferred over the City initiating a ban at the Vancouver Landfill without the region’s support.

· As part of the regional Zero Waste Challenge, GVRD staff are reviewing options for increasing the list of materials banned from regional disposal with garbage, including yard trimmings.

· City staff are investigating the option of a Solid Waste By-law amendment prohibiting the disposal of yard trimmings with Vancouver residential garbage collected by City forces. Since the City’s automated yard trimmings collection program is now fully implemented, we feel this is feasible and anticipate reporting to Council on this issue in the near future.

· Next year City staff are planning to work with the non-profit organization City Farmer, the City’s contracted operator of the Vancouver Compost and Water Conservation Demonstration Garden, to conduct a detailed survey of participation rates and barriers with home management of food waste in Vancouver, and to develop a plan to increase food waste diversion through an expanded backyard and multi-family composting program. Backyard composting provides a sustainable option for diverting a portion of the organics waste stream.

END EXCERPT