Edmonton Prioritizes Environment Through First-Rate Waste Management Programs
environmentally friendly, real estate, waste management,
We’ve all heard the saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
Well, the people of Edmonton take that concept to a whole new level.
Edmonton is recognized as a global leader when it comes to environmentally friendly practises and sustainable waste management, and now plans are under way to build the world’s first industrial-scale waste-to-ethanol facility here.
The $70 million facility will convert 100,000 tonnes of trash into 36 million litres of ethanol annually, reducing Alberta’s carbon footprint by more than 6 million tons over the next 25 years and diverting 90 percent of municipal waste from landfills, compared to the current 60 percent diversion rate.
The trash will come from the Clover Bar Landfill at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre, a 233-hectare mega-site that also contains the Materials Recovery Facility, where Edmonton’s recyclables are sorted and baled; the Edmonton Composting Facility, which is the largest composting plant in North America; the GEEP Electric and Electronic Waste Recycling Facility; and other facilities.
“There are all sorts of things going on in the trash department,” says Jerry Leonard, executive manager of the not-for-profit Edmonton Waste Management Centre of Excellence, the research and training organization that works in partnership with public and private entities to pioneer emerging waste management practises. “What we do is facilitate research that contributes to technology development. We act as a catalyst for new approaches in waste management,” Leonard says. “The city actually puts things into practise. That’s where the rubber meets the road.”
As in the rubber tires of garbage trucks picking up roadside recyclables, perhaps? The city’s success speaks for itself.
“In 2008, we collected 55,901 tonnes of recyclables through our programs,” says Connie Boyce, director of community relations for Edmonton’s Waste Management Branch.The city boasts 88 percent participation in its “blue bag” curbside recycling program for single-family households, Boyce adds. Additionally, close to 40 percent participate in grass recycling, and more than 30 percent do backyard composting.
“The Waste Management Branch has consistently placed a high priority on protecting the environment,” Boyce says, noting that it and several other city branches are ISO 14001-certified. “The certification demonstrates that we are meeting international standards for monitoring and continually improving our impact on the environment.”
The city’s comprehensive environmental strategy, called Eco-Vision Edmonton, encourages residents and businesses to team up with the city to reduce Edmonton’s environmental footprint.
One institution that is leading the way – and setting an industry standard – is Shaw Conference Centre with its Simple Steps program, which lays out ways convention planners and suppliers can help reduce the ecological impact of the more than 700 events it hosts annually.
In June, Edmonton hosted the ICLEI World Congress 2009 at the Shaw Conference Center. ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability is an international organization that addresses local sustainability issues within the context of the global common good. ICLEI has more than 1,000 member cities representing 400 million people worldwide.
As the host city, Edmonton ramped up sustainability initiatives, which ranged from awareness-raising art exhibits to neighbourhood green challenges, within the community.
Story by Carol Cowan
