Your odds of winning a Kindle are really good if you fill in our online survey. Here’s why.

You may have noticed the news item on our home page about our new reader survey. If you missed it, you can find a bright yellow boxed link on the right side of the home page. Click on it, and you’ll be taken to an online survey that should take you only about ten minutes to fill in.

Our magazine is inviting readers to fill in what we’re calling our Great Canadian Environment Survey for a chance to win one of FOUR Amazon Kindle e-book readers.

These are the new and sought-after 6-inch Wi-Fi-enabled Kindles with E Ink Display!

Your odds of being selected as a winner from several hundred survey respondents are much higher than in similar contests, such as consumer contest prizes where you’re only one of thousands, even tens of thousands, of contest entrants.

The survey solicits reader opinion on a diverse range of issues, from waste management and pollution control to regulatory enforcement, and includes opportunities for feedback about what readers like about the magazine and suggested improvements.

The survey results will be reported in the spring edition of the magazine. Plus, everyone who completes the survey gets a copy of the survey results for free.

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To complete the survey, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QQS8V7X

Posted by Guy Crittenden at 10:47 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

As discussed in my last blog post one of the highlights of the US Composting Council conference was the excellent session on Anaerobic Digestion and Integration with Composting.

It is clear that there are excellent opportunities to integrate off farm activities with on farm activities. This concept is something that is growing in Canada. Currently, there about 37 on farm AD facilities in Ontario each of which can receive some off-farm waste. Others are being constructed across the country.

Much of this development (in Ontario) is being driven by managing water quality issues through better management of manures (i.e. Walkerton) but really sweetened with dollars from Feed In Tariffs.

This potential for at least partial integration of off farm and on farm waste management has the added benefit of getting organic wastes where they ultimately belong and that is on farm land. It was clear from some other presentations that agricultural use of compost was still a puzzle waiting to be cracked in the US.

In Canada building on the foundation built by others companies such as Orgaworld Canada, Aim Environmental Group and others are making great inroads getting compost onto farm land by effectively communicating directly with farmers.

Nonetheless on farm anaerobic digestion offers an addition opportunity to bring organic wastes back to the place from which they originated in the first place.

There was also an excellent session on compostable plastics. I remember many years ago having an early morning session at a Composting Council of Canada conference where a small working group of manufacturers and council members had a similar discussion. It was a boisterous session as I recall. Many of the issues we talked about that day are the same today although effective certification programs have been developed over the years. As it did then the key issues today are about veracity and clarity. Does the product do what it says or implies? Is the consumer being mislead?

There continues to be considerable opportunity for both consumers and composters alike to be confused. Some of the confusion is natural but a great deal is foisted upon them by unethical manufacturers of products that want to benefit from the green wave without actually doing anything (other than colouring their products or using misleading words).

The key challenge is to educate consumers and composters on what is compostable and what is not. The BPI’s Compostable Product mark is widely recognized in the US and Canada (Canada also has their own mark). However the mark sometimes gets lost on the product or does not have meaning to the consumer. Another critical challenge is to make the mark and product distinctive enough that other non conforming products cannot be confused for it. Matthew Cotton, one of the presenters, effectively brought that point home when he held up two identical looking bags- one with the compostable mark and the other without. This may ultimately necessitate some truth in advertising legislation clearly defining what is compostable (as defined by BPI and others) and not allowing others to mislead through wording and packaging.

I went away from the conference with some conclusions:

1.The full gamut of organic waste processing should be considered under one umbrella- composting, AD, off farm and on farm.
2.It may be prudent to consider a North American organics association that encompasses the foregoing and works towards process and product standardization that would benefit all jurisdictions.
3.There is merit to considering a full and single North American “compostable” mark with added features to more clearly identify these products from other non-conforming products.

Copies of some presentations and papers can be found at:

http://www.cvent.com/events/u-s-composting-council-20th-annual-conference-and-trade-show/custom-19-2fc75f20dc3e42789b9b18a96834eb0e.aspx#wed_2

Posted by Paul at 11:05 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Austin, Texas claims to be the live music capital of the world. Every year they host the South by Southwest music festival.

This week Austin has been hosting the 20th annual US Composting Council conference at the Renaissance Hotel. The conference features about 700 delegates that include about 130 exhibitors.

It is gratifying to see the energy of organic waste processors in another country. The passion is the same but the scale is different- not necessarily bigger than our own, although that is true in some cases, but with different emphases on certain sectors such as energy.

In the US there are an estimated 3,000-4,000 (two different presenters gave two different estimates) organic waste processing facilities, although interestingly by their own admission little work has been done to quantify the size of the industry and its economic impact.

Michael Virga, the USCC’s recently appointed Executive Director, indicated that upcoming initiatives will include an economic study and new efforts on market development (they have hired a communications firm).

They are moving their office closer to Washington DC to be closer to policy makers. The new efforts to quantify the economic output of the industry as well as elevating its profile through marketing will be used as tools to communicate with policy makers and continue to grow the industry. One key initiative will be trying to give composting its own NAICS Code (i.e. industrial classification previously called SIC Code).

It is clear that that the USCC has embraced the energy that can be derived from organic wastes. While the American Biogas Council represents the interests of that part of the industry Virgil made it clear that “having them working with us is a powerful tool” that can be used to attract more feedstocks.

An excellent afternoon session “Anaerobic Digestion and Integration with Composting” drove home the practicality of taking a world view to organic waste processing- one that transcends methods (composting is part of the solution) and location (farms are part of the solution).

While I would say that composting in Canada has progressed further (especially when looking at SSO) than it is in the United States it is clear that there is a real momentum building for both the diversion of SSO and in particular the integration of anaerobic digestion and the farm with conventional composting operations.

More to come...

Posted by Paul at 9:19 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

The agricultural sector is often thought of as an end market for composts produced from residential and IC&I organic wastes. However, farms may also be places where off-farm organic wastes can be processed.

On farm anaerobic digestion and biogas production is starting to grow in Canada. The on-farm management of organic wastes, in this manner, intersects with conventional non hazardous waste management in Ontario. For instance farms, that install anaerobic digestion systems to produce biogas to manage manures, can accept up to 25% of the waste they manage from off-farm.

With feed in tariff (FIT) programs starting to develop across the country the on farm receipt of off farm organic wastes has the potential to increase.

It is prudent for the waste management sector, both public and private, to educate themselves about these developments and better understand how on-farm options can potentially act as source of off-farm waste processing capacity.

The 4th Annual Canadian Farm and Food Biogas Conference and Exhibition (in conjunction with The 6th Annual Growing the Margins: Rural Green Energy Conference & Exhibition) will be presented March 5-7, 2012 in London, Ontario.

http://www.gtmconference.ca/site/index.php/canadian-farm-and-food-biogas

A press release is included below.

Continue reading "On Farm Management of Off Farm Wastes" »

Posted by Paul at 6:20 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

My first Blog of 2012! I have wondered if I should take a different approach in 2012. I have been commenting regularly on the convergence of Politics, the Media and Environmental opposition. I am not going to change. Why? Because I think in 2012 there will be an explosive and never-ending series of confrontations about very important issues in the various provinces as well as the national and international stage.

A Presidential election in the USA and the Keystone XL pipeline is right in the middle of the fight. The public hearings by the National Energy Board into the feasibility of the Northern Gateway pipeline linking Alberta and the British Columbia coast may become Canada’s most controversial issue in decades. There are others. In Ontario the debate continues on wind farms, power plants and the approval of new sources of aggregates.

However, one question remains the same. Is the opposition to these projects rational, is it objective, and is it fair? My industry workshop entitled “Winning the War” has a direct message. The approval process, the technical due diligence and the consultation process with affected communities and groups is absolutely necessary and must be the basis for approval of sound and safe projects of any kind. You must pass all these tests, or your project should fail.

However, as I point out, outside this process there is a WAR going on and you better get organized to fight it or you will lose in the world of public opinion. And once you start to lose that war, politicians start to lose their objectivity because re-election has priority, (are you with me President Obama?) and you start to lose the political will necessary to ensure projects of importance get approved. That is just the way it is!

So I will continue to blog on these issues for an important reason. I have some practical experience. I have been there and lost. I spent fourteen years on one of the highest profile, controversial landfill projects in Canada. With international implications, the project was high-jacked three times in the political and environmental world and a world class environmental waste management opportunity was lost. I have a story to tell that I believe may be of value in the important debates mentioned above and others in the wings.

Question: Why did the Chair of the National Energy Board hearings unilaterally extend the hearing for an additional 12 months so “everybody can be heard”? Should “everybody” include every Tom, Dick and Harry from anywhere in the world? By expanding these hearings the Chair handed a “win” to the environmental activists – it’s called DELAY!!! More to come on this.

Question: Why is Joe Oliver of the Ministry of Natural Resources being called out by these environmental groups for saying that they “threaten to hijack our regulatory system to achieve their radical ideological agenda. They seek to exploit any loophole they can find, stacking public hearings with bodies to ensure that delays kill good projects.” He has both the right and the responsibility to make these statements. More to come on this.

Question: Why are Greenpeace, Forest Ethics, and other similar groups, crying because the lobby group EthicalOil in Calgary is finally fighting back aggressively? Can’t they use some of the same tactics these opposition groups use every day? Much more to come on this.

www.trashedpoliticalgarbage.com
TRASHED! How Political Garbage Made the United States Canada’s Largest Dump

Posted by Gordon McGuinty at 3:56 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I thought I’d share with readers this letter from Ontario Electronic Stewardship Executive Director Carol Hochu in which she says goodbye as she moves on to new opportunities in the plastics world.

It is with an equal measure of sadness and pride that I pen my final blog as Executive Director of Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES) - sadness that I will no longer represent this worthwhile and rapidly expanding organization and program, and pride as I look back not only at our past accomplishments, but also towards the many future opportunities that lie ahead.

Since OES began program operations in April 2009 in concert with our extensive network of collectors, transporters and processors, our team has worked tirelessly with Ontario's businesses and consumers to raise awareness around the importance of properly reusing and recycling end-of-life electronics. The response has been delightfully enthusiastic - with an easy-to-navigate

recycleyourelectronics.ca

website and more approved collection locations than ever, our year-over-year collection totals have drastically improved. In the first quarter of 2012, OES is poised to hit the 100,000 tonne collection mark - a truly remarkable accomplishment for such a young organization! This couldn't have happened without the breadth and depth of an experienced network of collectors, transporters, processors and other service providers.

While the success of the program ultimately stems from the efforts of all Ontarians, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the determined efforts of our capable and effective staff and senior management team. Howard Morrison, our current Director of Finance, has agreed to serve as Executive Director on an interim basis while the Board launches a search for my successor. With more than 20 years of high-level business experience and a keen interest in fulfilling the OES mandate, Howard will ensure that OES continues to be the leading voice in electronic waste recycling and reuse in this great province.

I owe a debt of gratitude to OES Board Chair Nick Aubry and the entire Board of Directors for their unwavering support. It has been a privilege to work with this group of talented professionals and witness the transition from a hands-on, operating board to a strategic thinking board.

I will also no doubt miss those who I have worked closest with. From Pierre Prim's steady oversight of our day-to-day field operations to Sandra Pakosh's pivotal role in engaging Ontarians through promotion and education that is truly resonating, and to Elaine Beames who is the glue that binds the team together, I have every confidence that OES is in great hands.

Thank you to everyone who has helped make my tenure at the Ontario Electronic Stewardship so very gratifying. Momentum is clearly on the side of OES and in the days and months ahead I will cheer it on (albeit from the sidelines) as it continues to meet (and surpass!) the high expectations of its stakeholders and all Ontarians.

With best wishes for a happy holiday season and a rewarding New Year...

Effective Jan 3rd, my new work coordinates are:

chochu@plastics.ca
905-678-7748

Carol Hochu
Executive Director, Ontario Electronic Stewardship
885 Don Mills Road, Suite 400, Toronto, ON M3C 1V9
Tel: 416-380-4545 x201 Fax: 416-380-4154

Learn more about OES:

OntarioElectronicStewardship.ca

Safely reuse and recycle your electronics:

RecycleYourElectronics.ca

Posted by Guy Crittenden at 1:20 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

As the holiday season approaches – and more cell phones, tablets, computers and televisions are upgraded and replaced – it’s a good moment to evaluate our progress in e-waste recycling, and to highlight research during the past year that has emphasized the continued need for responsible e-waste recyclers.

According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), North Americans now own approximately 24 electronic products per household, each with an ever-shortening lifespan. These older electronics enter the waste stream, as their owners favor more cutting-edge gadgets – and this process is happening faster each year. More than 3.5 million tons of used electronics were collected and processed in the U.S. in 2010, representing a nearly 200 percent increase from 2009, according to the 2011 Electronics Recycling Industry Survey.

http://www.isri.org/iMIS15_PROD/ISRI/ContentAreas/ISRI_Unveils_Preliminary_Findings_from_2011_Electronics_Recycling_Industry_Survey.aspx

E-waste is the fastest growing commodity in the North American waste stream. Volume is growing at more than three times the rate of other commodities, though there are few facilities to properly process them. Older electronics may contain potentially harmful materials such as lead, mercury and cadmium, but also contain valuable materials that may be reclaimed for use in new devices.

The potentially grave health impacts linked with improper e-cycling highlights the importance of third-party certified e-waste recyclers. Earlier this year, a study revealed that workers in uncertified Chinese e-cycling facilities and residents living downwind of those facilities displayed symptoms of respiratory illness resulting from improper e-cycling procedures.

Studies like this highlight the importance of safe e-cycling and help draw much needed attention from the highest levels of federal government. Following legislation passed by many states, last November the Obama administration directed several government agencies to establish the Interagency Task Force on Electronics Stewardship. In July, the task force released a report stating that one of its four overarching goals is to “increase the safe and effective management of used electronics in the U.S.,” and outlined collaborative next steps for the EPA, Department of Labor and electronics and recycling industries to achieve that goal.

One of those action items focused on third-party certification of e-waste recyclers, such as the e-Stewards® Certification program, created by the Basel Action Network (BAN). E-Stewards formally recognizes electronics recyclers that adhere to BAN’s stringent environmentally and socially responsible practices when recovering e-waste containing hazardous components. This program is the only e-recycler certification endorsed by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Sierra Club, Greenpeace USA, the Electronics TakeBack Coalition and 68 other environmental organizations.

WM Recycle America’s efforts to prioritize the safety of workers and the environment have recently been recognized by BAN. This month, WM Recycle America announced that all seven of its North American e-cycling facilities have earned BAN’s e-Stewards Standard for Responsible Recycling and Reuse of Electronic Equipment®.

http://e-stewards.org/about/

This certification comes in addition to WM Recycle America’s standing certification by the Responsible Recycling (R2) program and the RIOS® certification standard. The R2 program is a set of standards created to “protect public health and the environment, improve worker safety practices, and reduce potential exposures.” Its partner program, the RIOS® certification standard, oversees integrated quality, environmental, health and safety management in the recycling industry. Together, R2/RIOS provides an exacting standard for responsible electronics reuse and recycling, as well as recognition for compliant companies as Certified Electronics Recyclers®.

As more provinces and states pass laws requiring proper electronics recycling, we anticipate this sector of the waste industry will continue to grow. As it grows, we’ll address each new challenge with safety in mind. Already WM has joined forces with LG Electronics USA and other manufacturers to develop recycling programs that are easy and affordable for customers.

As the world becomes more tech-savvy, it is important to keep in mind the health and environmental implications of our progress. Through the R2/RIOS and e-Stewards programs, companies can follow a set of stringent guidelines to ensure that environmental, health and safety management systems are in place to track materials, and minimize emissions and worker exposure during electronics recycling operations. By developing secure recycling practices now, we can make sure the world’s technorati continue to enjoy all the latest gadgets with the assurance that their old products can be recycled or reused without hurting the planet.

Posted by Wes Muir at 6:43 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)