Report to/Rapport au :
Planning and
Environment Committee/
Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement
and Council / et au
Conseil
10 June 2009 / le 10 juin 2009
Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers,
Deputy City Manager/
Directrice
municipale adjointe,
Infrastructure
Services and Community Sustainability/
Services
d’infrastructure et Viabilité des collectivités
Contact
Person / Personne ressource: Dixon Weir, General Manager / Directeur général
Environmental Services / Services environnementaux
613-580-2424,
x22002, Dixon.Weir@ottawa.ca
SUBJECT:
|
Green Bin Program iMPLEMENTATION PLAN
|
|
|
|
OBJET :
|
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
That
the Planning and Environment Committee recommend Council:
1.
Receive this report for information; and
2.
Direct staff to report back in early 2011 with
results of the Green Bin Program along with recommendations to optimize the
program in preparation for the 2012 collection contract tender.
RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité de l'urbanisme et de
l'environnement recommande au Conseil :
1.
D’accueillir le présent rapport à titre informatif;
2.
De demander au personnel de présenter un autre rapport au début de 2011,
dans lequel seront présentés les résultats du programme du Bac vert, ainsi que
des recommandations visant l’optimisation du programme en prévision des
prochains appels d’offres pour les services de collecte en 2012.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Assumptions
and Analysis:
This
report outlines the details of the implementation plan for Ottawa’s Green Bin
Program. The primary focus of the report is to inform Committee and Council
about the implementation schedule and the communication and outreach support to
residents.
Implementation of the program is
comprised of three primary components:
·
Modification of collection service to include
organics;
·
Provision of organics processing; and,
·
New service promotion and customer education.
Provision of the organics program
will ultimately include all residents. The program will be rolled out in three
distinct phases; Phase 1 will include single residential properties and low
rise multi-unit residential properties, Phase 2 will include high-rise,
multi-unit residential properties and Phase 3 will include the rural properties
that were not included in the leaf and yard waste / organics collection in the
last contract. Staff will report on implementation details for Phase 2 once the
findings of the pilot on organics collection from high-rise
buildings is complete. Phase 3 will be included in the level of service
report (2011) for the consideration of Council in preparation for the next
collection contract (2012).
Orgaworld Canada was awarded the contract to build and
operate an organics processing facility for the City’s program. The facility is
located at Rideau Road and Hawthorne Road and construction began in April of
this year. The outside structure for the facility is well underway and the work
on the interior is scheduled to commence in June.
Effective
communication, education and promotion of the Green Bin Program to residents is one of the most important components of a successful
organics initiative. Collection and processing are vital, but without an
effective communications strategy, residents will not clearly understand how to
participate in the program, thereby impacting contamination and diversion
levels.
The
implementation plan described in this report, combined with effective
communications and outreach, will result in a smooth transition to the new
collection service and work towards the City’s diversion goals.
Financial Implications
This report has no financial
implications as all costs associated with the Green Bin Program have been
identified in previous reports and approved by Council.
Legal/Risk Management Implications
Public Consultation/Input
Extensive consultation on the Green Bin Program has been ongoing since
1997. The pilot program Compost Plus has tested the collection of organics in
about 5,000 households. Nanos Research conducted a survey in the fall of 2008
on a wide range of solid waste issues and found that the majority of Ottawa
residents are aware and supportive of the Green Bin Program. The Executive
Summary of the survey findings is included as Document 4.
Background and Main Timelines
In May 2008, ACS2008-PWS-SWS-0002, Council approved the following level
of service for solid waste, including the collection of green bins:
·
Continue
with weekly garbage collection and alternate weekly blue box and black box
through to 2012 under the existing contracts the City has with its service
providers;
·
Bi-weekly
organics collection from December to March; and
·
Weekly
organics collection from April to November.
The collection of the green bin organics is scheduled to commence on
January 4, 2010.
In March 2008, ACS2008-PWS-SWS-0004 Council awarded an organics
processing contract to Orgaworld Canada Ltd.
In November 2008, contracts were awarded to Norseman Plastics and
Ottawa Mouldcraft for the manufacture of organic
collection carts and kitchen containers respectively. In April 2009, Fleishman-Hillard Canada was retained to develop and deliver an
education and communications campaign for the implementation of the Green Bin
Program.
Current Status:
·
Construction
on the Orgaworld facility (building shell near
completion);
·
Manufacture
of approximately 50,000 green bins at a rate of 1,200 per day;
·
Green
Bin Champions Pilot launched;
·
The
manufacturing mould ready for production of the kitchen container; and,
·
The
development of a communications plan.
Document 6 attached includes a previously distributed memorandum with
respect to the purchaseof green bins.
RÉSUMÉ
Le présent rapport présente les détails du plan
de mise en œuvre du programme de Bac vert de la Ville d’Ottawa. Le rapport vise principalement à informer le
Comité et le Conseil du calendrier de mise en œuvre et des moyens de
communication et de sensibilisation utilisés à l’égard des résidents.
La mise en œuvre du Programme comprend les
trois principaux éléments suivants :
·
Modification
du service de collecte des déchets afin d’y inclure les déchets organiques;
·
Prestation
de services de traitement des déchets organiques;
·
Promotion
du nouveau service et sensibilisation de la clientèle.
Les services de collecte des déchets organiques
seront éventuellement offerts à tous les résidents. Le programme sera mis en œuvre en trois
phases distinctes. La première phase visera les résidences individuelles et les
petits immeubles à logements multiples, la deuxième phase comprendra les tours
d’habitation à logements multiples et la troisième phase visera les propriétés
rurales qui n’étaient pas inclus dans la collecte des feuilles et résidus de
jardinage et des déchets organiques aux termes du dernier contrat. Le personnel
présentera un rapport sur la mise en œuvre de la deuxième phase lorsque les
conclusions du projet pilote de collecte de déchets organiques pour les tours
d’habitation à logements multiples auront été élaborées. Les résultats de la troisième phase seront
inclus dans le rapport sur les niveaux de service (2011) dont le Conseil
tiendra compte pour le prochain contrat de service de collecte (2012).
La Ville a accordé à l’entreprise Orgaworld Canada le contrat de construire
et d’exploiter une installation de traitement des déchets organiques pour le
programme de la Ville. L’installation
est située au coin du chemin Rideau et du chemin Hawthorne; les travaux de
construction ont commencé en avril 2009.
La construction de la structure externe de l’installation va bon train
et les travaux internes devraient commencer en juin.
La communication efficace avec les résidents, la sensibilisation de ces
derniers et la promotion du programme constituent les éléments les plus importants
pour assurer le succès de l’initiative de collecte des déchets organiques. La collecte et le traitement des déchets sont
très importants, mais sans une stratégie de communication efficace, les
résidents ne comprendront pas bien comment ils peuvent participer à ce
programme, ce qui aura une incidence sur les niveaux de contamination et de
réacheminement.
Le plan de mise en œuvre présenté dans le présent rapport, ainsi que les
communications efficaces et la sensibilisation permettront une transition
facile vers le nouveau service de collecte et l’atteinte des objectifs de la
Ville en matière de réacheminement des déchets.
Incidences
financières
Le présent rapport ne fait état d’aucune
incidence financière, car tous les coûts associés au programme de Bac vert ont
été fournis dans les rapports précédents et approuvés par le Conseil.
Incidences juridiques et en matière de gestion
du risque
Il
n’existe aucune entrave d’ordre juridique ou en matière de gestion du risque à
recevoir le présent rapport ou à demander au personnel de fournir un rapport au
début de l’année 2011.
Consultation publique/commentaires des
résidents
Depuis 1997, on mène une consultation approfondie en ce
qui concerne le programme de Bac vert.
Le projet pilote Compost Plus a permis de tester le service de collecte
de déchets organiques auprès d’environ 5 000 ménages. Nanos Research
a mené un sondage à l’automne 2008 sur une large gamme d’enjeux relatifs
aux déchets solides, et, selon les conclusions, la majorité des résidents
d’Ottawa connaissent le programme de Bac vert et l’appuient. Le résumé des
conclusions du sondage est présenté à l’annexe 4.
Contexte et
avancement du projet
En mai 2008, ACS2008-PWS-SWS-0002, le Conseil a
approuvé les niveaux de service suivants pour la collecte des déchets solides,
y compris la collecte des bacs verts :
·
poursuivre jusqu’en 2012 la collecte hebdomadaire des
déchets et l’alternance de la collecte hebdomadaire des bacs bleus et des bacs
noirs, en vertu des contrats en vigueur avec les fournisseurs de services de la
Ville;
·
recueillir les déchets organiques aux deux semaines de
décembre à mars;
·
recueillir les déchets organiques chaque semaine
d’avril à novembre.
La collecte des déchets organiques
des bacs verts devrait commencer le 4 janvier 2010.
En mars 2008, ACS2008-PWS-SWS-0004, le Conseil
a accordé à l’entreprise Orgaworld Canada Ltd. le contrat de construire et
d’exploiter une installation de traitement des déchets organiques.
En novembre 2008, les entreprises Norseman
Plastics et Ottawa Mouldcraft ont décroché des contrats pour la fabrication des
grands bacs à déchets organiques et des petits bacs pour la cuisine,
respectivement. En avril 2009,
l’entreprise Fleishman-Hillard Canada a reçu le mandat d’orchestrer une
campagne de communication et de sensibilisation dans le cadre du programme de
Bac vert.
Avancement du projet :
·
La construction de l’installation de traitement
d’Orgaworld se poursuit (la structure extérieure est presque terminée).
·
Environ 50 000 bacs verts sont fabriqués à raison
de 1 200 bacs par jour.
·
Le Projet pilote des champions des bacs
verts a été lancé.
·
Le moule pour la fabrication des bacs pour la cuisine
est prêt.
·
Un plan de communication est en cours d’élaboration.
L’annexe 6
présente une note de service envoyée précédemment au sujet de l’achat des bacs
verts.
DISCUSSION
1.
Details on Collection Program Modification
In
preparation for the changes to the collection program, an implementation plan
has been developed, which involves the delivery of the green bin, kitchen
container, promotion / information package and preparation for collection
(i.e., purchase of collection vehicles). The success of this plan is critically
important to the ongoing success of the Green Bin Program. Experience in other
municipalities has shown that problems with the roll-out can affect
participation in the program. The plan
has been developed to ensure that:
·
Delivery is properly scheduled and routed and
any missed or other delivery issues are corrected right away;
·
Outreach officers accompany each delivery team
to provide personal one-on-one support to residents;
·
Communications are clear so that residents
understand the start-up dates and how to participate in the program; and
·
Councillors’ offices, the 311 call centre,
delivery crews and Solid Waste staff are in constant contact to resolve issues
as they arise.
Delivery of Carts
The cart vendor, Norseman
Plastics, will manage the storage, assembly, packaging and delivery of
containers for the first phase of the roll-out. The delivery crews will place
the kitchen container and the promotion information into the organics
collection cart and deliver it to the household. Promotional information will include a user
guide, two sample organic waste bags (donated to the City) and a coupon to
purchase additional bags. Since organics collection will not start until
January of 2010, a sticker will be placed on the lid of each cart, informing
residents not to place organics in their cart until a week or two prior to the
collection commencement date. Residents
will be referred to their collection calendar to find out when their collection
will occur. In addition, outreach officers will be assigned to each of the
delivery crews to provide personal, one-on-one support for residents as the
carts are delivered. The Officers will be knowledgeable and able to answer
resident’s questions about the program. They will also have information
packages to leave with residents should they require further information. Other
municipal experience has shown that this step is critical in minimizing
confusion and phone calls / inquiries during the roll-out.
Manufacturing of the organics
collection carts started in April of this year. The carts will be placed in
indoor storage locally in Ottawa prior to delivery, starting in mid-September
2009. Four storage locations
strategically located in the west, centre, east and south of the City have been
secured. These storage locations will be used as staging areas to load the
smaller delivery vehicles.
Staff are
working closely with Norseman on the development of an address database for
route design to assist with delivery. The database will give a reference for
Norseman to register the unique barcode on each cart against the address it was
delivered to, providing staff with tracking information for maintenance and
warranty purposes.
Over the twelve week schedule,
carts will be delivered by collection zones, concentrating on one zone at a
time. Norseman will provide staff with a daily list of delivered addresses and
an area delivery schedule will be made available to Call Centre staff and
Members of Council in advance. Staff will provide updates on the progress of
the roll-out.
It is important to note that
Norseman has experience delivering over 930,000 containers to municipalities
such as Toronto, Peel Region and Durham Region.
The
City’s In House Collection Group, as well as our collection contractors have
been officially advised by Supply Branch that collection is scheduled to
commence on January 4, 2010. As per the collection contract, the In-House
Collection Group and contractors are required to have adequate collection
vehicles and labour for the start of collection.
A high level timeline of the
project, including the roll-out, is included as Document 2.
Collection Program –
Implementation Phasing
It is estimated that about 220,000
of approximately 250,000 curbside collected households will receive green bins
in the initial phase of the roll-out.
The remaining curbside households
will require changes to set out method or container type in order to
participate, and this will require that staff visit these specific sites to
discuss with owners and landlords how best to implement an organics solution at
their location. This process will start in the fall of 2009 and continue until
complete, estimated for 2010. Some of the barriers to implementation include
common pad set out, lack of storage space and no suitable access from storage
space (backyard) to collection location (curbside). Due to the potential variance
in approaches that may be required to implement organics service for these
households, they will be implemented on a case-by-case basis.
The remaining two phases include
high-rise, multi-unit, residential buildings and rural households that did not
receive leaf and yard waste / organic collection in the last collection
contract. Planning for pilot programs for high-rise, multi-unit, residential
buildings will start this year with eventual pilot implementation in 2010.
Factors to consider include collection bins, in-unit containers and collection
vehicles, etc. Staff will report to Committee and Council on an implementation
plan once the preferred option is determined. Finally, for the about 7,000
rural households that did not receive leaf and yard waste or organics
collection as per the level of service in the last collection contract, staff
are intending to include these households in the level of service for the new
collection contract (2012) for Council’s consideration.
Table 1 below summarizes the
implementation phases.
Table 1
Green Bin Program
Implementation Phases
|
Phase |
# Households |
Housing Type |
Set Out |
Challenges |
Opportunities |
Service Delivery Date |
|
1a |
220,000 |
Primarily Single Units |
At Curb |
None |
|
January 2010 |
|
1b |
30,000 |
Low-rise multi-units |
Common Pad, Private Property, Front end loading container
collection |
Space for storage & set out, access to set out, site
visits required |
||
|
2 |
100,000 |
High-rise, multi-units |
High-rise |
Space for storage & set out, access to set out, Front
end loading container collection |
High-rise Green Bin Pilot underway |
|
|
3 |
7,000 |
Rural |
At Curb |
Not in current collection contract |
Include in 2012 contract |
2012 new contract service level |
Procedure – Compliance and
Monitoring
The approximately two and one
half months between late September 2009 when the green
bins start to be delivered and January 4, 2010 when collection starts will be
critical. Staff have developed a procedure in the
likely event that some carts will be placed at the curb before collection
starts.
Should carts be placed out in advance of collection, staff will empty
the carts and place a notice on the cart reminding residents that collection
doesn’t start until January. The notice will be a sticker that is placed such
that it will have to be broken to open the lid.
Monitoring of the program will begin immediately
after collection begins in January 2010.
There will be two processes; Solid Waste Inspectors providing education
on the new program as part of regular by-law enforcement procedures and
measuring customer satisfaction through set out studies, phone polls and web
based surveys.
As with the City’s other diversion programs, the
Blue and Black Box Programs, participation is mandatory. Public education will
play the primary role in encouraging the public’s participation in the early
stages of the program. When the green bin is contaminated or is not being
placed out, an advisory notice will be issued. The experience of Waste
Inspectors has been that issuing a notice normally corrects the problem.
Client surveys will assist in targeting the
Branch’s overall education program. For instance, ongoing promotion may include
tips on effective storage of organics.
2.
Organics
Processing
Orgaworld
Canada was awarded the contract to build and operate an organics processing
facility for the City’s program. The facility is located at Rideau Road and Hawthorne
Road in an industrial area. Construction on the site began in April of this
year.
A conditional building permit has
allowed construction on the exterior shell of the facility to commence and that
work is well underway. The
permit covers the foundations, walls, roof and structure. The permit covering
the interior of the building has been submitted to the City. Processes to finalize the Subdivision
Agreement and Site Plan Agreement are underway as well as Certificate of
Approval permits from the Ministry.
Orgaworld
Canada has advised that the current timelines for the construction of the
processing facility are on schedule. Staff have been
and will continue to closely monitor the construction progress.
The contract with Orgaworld Canada was executed in the spring of 2008 and was
based upon the Request for Qualifications (January 2006) and the Request for
Proposals (March 2007). Orgaworld Canada has committed to building a facility
capable of processing 100,000 tonnes of organics per year and the City has
committed to supply 80,000 tonnes of organics on a put or pay basis.
As with all programs involving
significant social change and public education, the phase in approach of this
Organics Program does represent some risk that the City may not meet its put or
pay commitment solely on the residential organics program in the first stage of
implementation.
To manage this risk, City staff are looking to the recently approved Diversion 2015
Plan to help minimize this shortfall possibility while taking best advantage of
available organics processing capacity. As part of the work plan, staff have
started proactively meeting with generators and haulers to have IC&I
organic collection programs available for January 2010 early implementation.
Also, Phase 2 of the implementation schedule as set out in this report (Table
1) has high-rise multi-unit buildings starting in 2011 or sooner. This process
may be accelerated pending pilot findings. Finally staff have contacted
neighbouring Municipalities to determine potential Organic Program start dates
and advise on Ottawa’s processing capabilities. These
measures are encouraging and will work towards minimizing the risk to the
City’s commitment.
Staff will advise Committee and
Council on both construction progress and organics processing commitment as
required.
3.
Communications Plan
Effective communication, education
and promotion are integral to the success of the Green Bin Program. Engaging
residents in a meaningful way will encourage participation in organics diversion
allowing Members of Council and the City to divert significant amounts of
organic waste from the landfill.
Research
Solid Waste Operations conducted a
survey of City of Ottawa residents regarding their current attitudes, interests
and opinions on recycling and garbage issues. The goal of the survey was to
assess depth of knowledge and identify perceptions of recycling and garbage
services.
The survey questions were
developed to gain a baseline understanding of residents’ attitudes towards the
City’s waste management programs, identify areas of concern and assess the
awareness and understanding of initiatives including the Green Bin Program, the
Household Hazardous Waste Program and other recycling and garbage services. A combination of open-ended and closed-ended questions were
used to allow for quantification of respondents’ opinions and to probe for
additional information. The survey provided geographic representation through
our existing waste collection zones as well as a mix of urban and rural
participants.
Findings included strong support
for solid waste collection services in general and for diversion programs,
particularly the Green Bin Program. The complete report is included as Document
4.
The Green Bin Program
communications motion passed by Council on September 10, 2008, speaks to the
need to consult with residents, raise public awareness and address why the City
is implementing this program. The research findings have been a valuable
resource in the development of the Green Bin communications plan.
Staff will continue to take a
consultative approach that includes ongoing public dialogue to help develop and
refine our overall communications plan.
Communications Plan Stages
The City of Ottawa has developed a
multi-phased communications plan that will increase resident awareness and
knowledge, and promote participation in the Green Bin Program. The plan integrates existing City resources
and will continue beyond the launch period.
Details of the plan include:
Stage 1: Preparation (April – July
2009)
This stage is largely devoted to
program planning and preparation of foundational elements. Following the development of the strategic
communications plan (see Document 5) and a detailed work plan, efforts will
focus on developing the creative concept and brand, program website, and core
campaign materials including the User Guide and the Collection Calendar.
Efforts will be undertaken to ensure Councillors and community leaders have the
resources and information they require to support their constituency and
communities through the launch. In addition, the communications team will focus
on developing messaging tools and questions and answers to support
public-facing staff, including 3-1-1 operators, Council staff and Green Bin liaison
officers.
The City of Ottawa Green Bin
Champions Pilot Project will give approximately 95 households first-hand
experience with organics collection in advance of the Green Bin Program launch.
Champions will be using the City of Ottawa’s official green bin and specially
designed kitchen container. The feedback provided and the experience gained
during this initiative will allow us to better serve the residents of Ottawa as
we implement the City-wide program in 2010.
Stage 2: Education (August –
December 2009)
This stage covers the time period
immediately before and throughout bin delivery. Activities during this stage
will be highly visible and focused on educating Ottawa residents about the
Green Bin Program; what it is, how it works, when to expect bins and pick-up,
and who will be involved. A multi-faceted approach will be used to ensure
information is reaching all Ottawa residents in a range of ways.
Community Outreach will play an
important role in ensuring all Ottawa residents are informed about this new
program and how they can be involved. Current Community Outreach programs will
be expanded to include the green bin and some specific outreach efforts will be
undertaken specifically for the Green Bin launch, including:
·
Community
workshops;
·
Developing
or expanding school programs; and,
·
Presence
at community events with information for adults and fun activities for kids.
Highly-visible and wide-reaching
awareness activities will include:
·
Radio,
print and television advertising;
·
Outdoor
advertising;
·
Interactive
web content including social networking; and,
·
Bin
delivery launch announcement and media outreach.
Stage 3: Participation (January –
March, 2010)
This stage marks the start of
organics pick-up and the communications focus will shift from education to
building participation. Highly-visible
launch events including Members of Council will be held during the early part
of January. A second round of advertising will reinforce the details of program
participation. Online presence and social networking will continue.
During this time, a City-wide community competition will be
launched, challenging each of the five collection zones to have the highest
organic diversion rates over a three or six month period.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
Implementation of the Green Bin Program will yield several
environmental benefits including:
- Reduced dependence on landfill for waste management;
- Retention of landfill capacity for material that
cannot be diverted through other methods;
- Reduced Green House Gas (GHG) emissions;
- Reduced impacts of local landfills on neighbouring
communities, including odour and size;
- Production of compost, which reduces the need for
chemical fertilizers and watering; and,
- Increased food waste diversion by the IC&I sector
made possible by establishing an organics composting plant within Ottawa.
RURAL IMPLICATIONS
Organics collections will be
provided to rural residents within a village or country estate subdivision as
part of the initial implementation, but not to rural residents outside of a
village or country estate. This level of service is consistent with that of
leaf and yard waste pickup in rural areas, which is set out in the current
collection contract. Further, Council debated this issue at its November 26,
2008 meeting.
A report on the level of service
will be considered by Committee and Council as part of the development of the
2012 collection contract and it is envisioned that the rural collection of both
organics and leaf and yard waste will be included in that report.
CONSULTATION
Public consultation on the issue of a Source Separated Organics Program
has been ongoing since 1997 through various methods and venues, including:
·
Nanos Research (2008) - Survey of residents
regarding solid waste services.
·
Genevar Consulting,
formerly MacViro (2002) - In preparation of the City
of Ottawa’s Integrated Waste Management Master Plan.
·
Decima telephone surveys in 2003 and 2006.
·
The Environmental Advisory Committee was
consulted in July 2005 and again in December 2006.
·
Analysis and reports by David Redmond and
Associates of 10 public surveys between 1997 and 2004.
·
Communications report (2003) by Howard
Williamson Consulting with a variety of public input (surveys, telephone polls,
workshops, etc.).
·
Staff conducted open houses for the various
pilot neighborhoods for Compost Plus, as well as
monitored and responded to feedback through a dedicated e-mail box for Compost
Plus participants.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
This
report has no financial implications as all costs associated with the Green Bin
Program have been identified in previous reports and approved by Council.
LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
There are no legal/risk
management impediments to receiving the information in this report and
directing staff to report back in early 2011.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 - Green Bin Program
Containers
Document 2 - Timeline for
Roll-out of Green Bin Program
Document 4 - City
of Ottawa Solid Waste Survey Report (Executive Summary) – Issued Separately
Document 5 - Communications
Plan - Issued Separately
Document 6 - Memo to Mayor and
Members of Council Green Bin Selection
DISPOSITION
Solid Waste Operations will
implement the plan for roll-out of the Green Bin Program and report back to
Council with updates as required throughout 2010.
