Metro Vancouver Organics Collection Demonstration Program Wendy Rudder Project Manager, AECOM Environment March 26, 2010
Presentation Outline Who s Doing What program overview, partners and timelines How Did We Start program design, communications, field support How Are We Doing So Far preliminary results, highlights from the field What Happens Next next steps, transition to full programs, processing capacity Questions April 6, 2010 Page 2
Project Partners April 6, 2010 Page 3
Who s Doing What? Metro Vancouver Funding for demonstration program Offered municipalities the option to participate Program management Secured processor capacity Partner Municipalities City of Coquitlam Corporation of Delta Township of Langley District of West Vancouver City of Port Coquitlam City of Port Moody AECOM Manage program design, communications & field support program Reporting & Toolkit Development April 6, 2010 Page 4
Project Timelines Aug 2009 Aug Sep 2009 Oct 5 2009 Oct 2009 Jun 2010 Project Launch Lit Review & Program Design Communications Planning & Test Area Outreach Collection starts! Field monitoring & Data Collection April 6, 2010 Page 5
How We Started Literature Review Other community pilots Automated vs. manual collection Variation of streams collected Lessons learned Estimated diversion rates to expect April 6, 2010 Page 6
How We Started Program Design Test and control neighbourhoods Processor requirements Communications strategies Surveys and focus groups Tools and supplies for residents Key Issues Waste composition studies before and during Centralized call centre Web site FAQs Hauler negotiations for pilot Processor contracts Field monitoring program April 6, 2010 Page 7
Communications & Outreach Activities Formal Letter from Mayor Open Houses Door-to-door contact Distribution of stickers and printed information Metro Vancouver hotline Metro Vancouver website Telephone Surveys Informal Calls & emails to municipal staff Field staff interactions Contact with haulers April 6, 2010 Page 8
Bin Sticker April 6, 2010 Page 9
Kitchen Catcher Sticker April 6, 2010 Page 10
Newsletters Focus on cycle of compost to new products Offered key getting started tips Delivered door to door with stickers & kitchen catchers April 6, 2010 Page 11
Program Design Summary Substitute organics pick-up for regular yard waste collection Residents to use existing bins Weekly collection except for Delta 1 Weekly garbage & recycling collection April 6, 2010 Page 12
How Are We Doing?
Test Area Summary Test Area Number of Households Coquitlam 489 Delta 1 (bi-weekly) 528 Delta 2 (weekly) 490 Langley 811 West Vancouver 514 Port Moody 350 Total 3,182 April 6, 2010 Page 14
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Field Visits Mark each household observed on maps of test areas; Take photographs to record set-out practices house number, food/yard waste bin (outside and inside), any other noteworthy observations; Complete checklist for each house visited Street Address: Bins Yard Trimming Bin Yard Trimming Bag Yard/Food Waste Bin Bin Contents Yard Waste Food Waste Contamination in Yard & Food Bin Plastic Bag Other Plastic Coated Paper/Milk Cartons Other Set-Out Practices Bin lid off or missing Food in Kraft Paper Bag Evidence of bears, raccoons, or other Old Yard trimming sticker Kitchen catcher bin at curb Good Habits Food & yard trimmings in layers Bin liner used Newspaper/paper towel wrapping food Bungee cord or extra latches on bins New Sticker Contact with Residents (comments, questions, concerns): Resident s Name & Phone #: April 6, 2010
Kitchen catcher inside Organics Bin April 6, 2010 Page 20
Milk Cartons used as containers for food scraps April 6, 2010 Page 21
A Typical Set-Out April 6, 2010 Page 22
Field Observations Most Frequent Positive Observations Most Frequent Negative Observations Food waste wrapped in newspaper or paper towel (44) Paper bin liner used for outside container (25) Food waste layered with yard waste (20) Missing stickers (15) Food waste in plastic bag or other contamination (9) Missing lids on bins containing food waste (6) Extra latches to secure container (3) Home made stickers (4) Evidence of Pests (4) Kitchen catchers or other small containers at curb (3) April 6, 2010 Page 23
And What Do Residents Think?
Call Centre Feedback October & November 2009 April 6, 2010 Page 25
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Challenges, Lessons Learned & Next Steps
Challenges Contamination in organics Plastic bags Plastic food containers Participation variations Bi-weekly organics collection Low winter-time volumes Still significant organics in waste stream The compostable bag debate! Presentation Title April 6, 2010 Page 30
Lessons Learned Communication is key Multiple channels Opportunities for feedback Create chances to be heard Be sensitive to language or other communication barriers Municipalities Plan ahead house counts, set-out rates, reporting Options to minimize cost increases substitution of existing service, co-collection with yard trimmings Tipping fee savings can be used to encourage Councils April 6, 2010 Page 31
Next Steps For the Project Second waste composition study March 15 26 Compilation of field data Post-pilot telephone survey Toolkit for implementation For the Municipalities Keep going! City wide roll-out in second half of 2010 Pilot test bi-weekly garbage collection with weekly organics (April June) Communications to residents April 6, 2010 Page 32
Thank You Wendy.rudder@aecom.com AECOM Environment 604-412-3532