Table Of Content^?y^
GREATER TORONTO AREA 3Rs ANALYSIS
EA INPUT DOCUMENT
DRAFT NOVEMBER
- 1993
®
Ministryof
Environment
Ontario
and Energy
ISBN0-7778-2032-3(9v. set)
ISBN 0-7778-2033-1 (thisv.)
GREATER TORONTO AREA 3Rs ANALYSIS
EA INPUT DOCUMENT
Prepared by M.M. Dillon Ltd.
in cooperation with
Resource Integration Systems Ltd.
Hardy Stevenson and Associates, and
Future Urban Research
for
Fiscal Planning and Information Management Branch
Ministry ofEnvironment and Energy
DRAFT - NOVEMBER 1993
©
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MinistryofEnvironmentandEnergy
GTA3RsAnalysis -EAInputDocument ExecutiveSummaryi
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
BackgroundandPurpose
With the introduction of the Waste Management Act (WMA), 1992 by the Province of
Ontario, the Interim Waste Authority (IWA) was empowered to conduct environmental
assessments (EAs) to locate three landfill sites in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). These
three landfill sites willprovide waste disposal capacity to Metro Toronto and the Regions
of Durham, York and Peel, for at least 20 years. The Region of Halton recently
completeda landfillsite selectionprocess andwas not included in the IWA EAs.
The WMA also directs the Minister of Environment and Energy to provide to the IWA
waste diversion estimatesfor use in the IWA EAs. These estimates were provided by the
Minister in May 1992.
The GTA 3Rs Analysis provides analytical support to waste diversion estimates provided,
and also serves to identify and evaluate alternative 3Rs systems (comprised of
combinations of 3Rs programs, technologies and practices) that could reasonably be
implemented in the GTA. The potential for each 3Rs system identified to divert waste
over the 20-yearminimum life expectancy ofthe GTA landfills is also determined.
StudyApproach Overview
An array of conceptually different 3Rs systems was identifiedfor addressing residential
wastes, as well asfor institutional, commercial and industrial (IC&l) wastes. Including
the Existing (do-nothing alternative) and Existing/Committed system, six residential and
sixIC&J 3Rs systems were developedfrom the available 3Rs components:
Residential
MinistryofEnvironmentandEnergy
GTA3RsAnalysis EAInputDocument ExecutiveSummary ii
The residential systems were developed specific to the four municipalities of the GTA
whereas the IC&I 3Rs systems were applied to the GTA as a whole. This study did not
attempt to develop an optimal system for each service area as that would require site-
specific analysis andpolicy considerations beyondthe scope ofthis study.
An evaluation, done at a non-site specific, generic level, identified the advantages and
disadvantages to the environment ofeachpotential 3Rs system. The evaluation was based
on thefollowing criteria groups:
Cost;
Municipal Finance;
Natural Environment;
Service; and
Social Environment.
The systems were then ranked from lowest impact to highest impact by each criteria
group.
Consultation
A public/agency consultation program is being undertaken as part of the GTA 3Rs
Analysis. The consultation program is being conducted in three stages. The first stage
occurred through June to December 1992 and involved MOEE Waste Reduction Office
(WRO) staffattending the JWA information centre when the long list ofcandidate landfill
sites wcLS announced.
Stage 2 occurredfrom December 1992 to October 1993 andfocused on the review ofpast
consultation efforts dealing with waste management issues in the GTA. It also involved
reviewing comments on 3Rs issues obtained through the IWA consultation activities.
Stage 3 is to occur in the Fall of 1993 and early 1994, and is centred on public/agency
review ofthe draft GTA 3Rs documentation.
Conclusions
This document provides written estimates on the amount of waste that will not be
generated due to waste reduction efforts and the amount ofwaste which will be diverted
from disposal due to reuse or recycling efforts. It should be noted that the estimated
diversion percentages are the cumulative diversion achieved over a 20-year period,from
1996 to 2015.
.
DRAFT-NovemberJ993
MinistryofEnvironmentandEnergy
GTA3RsAnalysis -EAInputDocument ExecutiveSummaryHi
The disposal requirementsfor each service area depend on which residential and IC&I
systems are combined toform any waste diversion system. The residential and IC&I 3Rs
systems evaluated can be combined25 different waysfor each service area.
The estimates of waste diversion for the three service areas show that of the 25
combinations considered, 21 have the ability to divert 50% or more of the generated
waste stream in the 20-yearperiodbetween 1996 and2015.
The analysis shows that the written estimates provided by the Minister of Environment
and Energy to the IWA in May 1992 fall within the range of diversion achievable by a
number ofcombinations ofresidential andIC&Isystems within each ofthe service areas.
The systemspresentedand evaluatedwere not designedasplansforany ofthe Regions or
service areas. They were chosen to estimate the impacts ofa number ofdifferentpossible
approaches to waste diversion. They are not considered a complete list ofall thepossible
combinations of components which could form waste diversion systems, and a
comprehensive mix and match ofcomponents has not been attempted. The systems were
chosen to provide a reasonable range ofdiversion options, and to estimate the impacts of
these options.
DRAFT-November1993
MinistryofEnvironmentandEnergy
GTA3RsAnalysis -EAInputDocument
GTA 3Rs ANALYSIS
EA INPUT DOCUMENT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
1.0 INTRODUCTION 1-1
1.1 Background 1-1
1.2 Purpose ofStudy 1-1
1.3 Study Approach 1-3
1.4 Related Studies and Reports 1-4
1.5 Outline ofReport 1-4
2.0 STUDY APPROACH 2-1
2.1 Definition ofGoals 2-1
2.2 Study Process 2-2
2.2.1 Study Process Overview 2-3
2.2.2 Assumptions Overview 2-6
3.0 CONSULTATION ON GTA 3RS ANALYSIS 3-1
3.1 Consultation Program (Stage 1) 3-1
3.2 Review ofWaste Management Initiatives and
Related Consultation Programs (Stage 2) 3-2
3.3 Data Verification Activities (Stage 2) 3-6
3.4 Peer Review (Stage 3) 3-8
3.5 Future Consultation Activities (Stage 3) . . . 3-8
4.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE EXISTING ENVIRONMENT 4-1
4.1 Municipal Finance 4-1
4.1.1 Durham Region (Municipal Finance) 4-1.
4.1.2 Metro Toronto (Municipal Finance) 4-4
4.1.3 York Region (Municipal Finance) 4-7
4.1.4 Peel Region (Municipal Finance) 4-11
4.2 Natural Environment 4-14
.
4.2.1 Durham Region (Natural Environment) 4-14
4.2.2 Metro Toronto (Natural Environment) 4-17
4.2.3 York Region (Natural Environment) 4-19
4.2.4 Peel Region (Natural Environment) 4-21
4.3 Social Environment 4-24
4.3.1 GTA (Social Environment) 4-24
4.3.2 Durham Region (Social Environment) 4-43
4.3.3 Metro Toronto (Social Environment) 4-45
DRAFT-November1993
MinistryofEnvironmentandEnergy
GTA3RsAnalysis-EAInputDocument
GTA 3Rs ANALYSIS
EA INPUT DOCUMENT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
Page
4.3.4 York Region (Social Environment) 4-48
4.3.5 Peel Region (Social Environment) 4-50
5.0 WASTE DIVERSION IN THE GTA 5-1
5.1 Waste Generation Quantities and Composition 5-1
5.1.1 Durham Residential 5-1
5.1.2 Metro Toronto Residential 5-4
5.1.3 York Region Residential 5-8
5.1.4 Peel Residential 5-14
5.1.5 Halton Region Residential 5-18
5.1.6 IC&I Waste Quantities and Composition 5-22
5.2 Existing Residential 3Rs System 5-25
5.2.1 Durham Region 5-25
5.2.2 Metro Toi^nto 5-34
5.2.3 York Region 5-44
5.2.4 Peel Region 5-51
5.2.5 Halton Region 5-59
5.3 Existing/Committed Residential 3Rs System
Descriptions 5-64
5.3.1 Durham Region 5-65
5.3.2 Metro Toronto 5-66
5.3.3 York Region 5-70
5.3.4 Peel Region 5-73
5.3.5 Halton Region 5-75
5.4 Existing GTA IC&I System 5-78
5.4.1 Existing IC&I System Overview 5-78
5.4.2 Existing IC&I System Description 5-79
5.4.3 Diversion Achieved by Existing IC&I System 5-92
5.4.4 Existing IC&I System Costs 5-93
5.5 Existing/Committed GTA IC&I 3Rs System 5-93
5.5.1 Existing/Committed IC&I System Overview 5-93
5.5.2 Description of Proposed 3Rs Regulations 5-94
5.5.3 Components ofthe Existing/Committed
GTA IC&I System 5-97
DRAFT-November1993
