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Greenlane Renewables Secures New $8.3 million Landfill Gas upgrading Project

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Greenlane Renewables Inc. (TSXV: GRN), headquartered in British Columbia, recently announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Greenlane Biogas North America Ltd., has secured a new $8.3 million (US$6.3 million) biogas upgrading contract with a customer in California, whose name is being withheld at this time for confidentiality reasons. Engineering work will begin immediately on the California-based landfill project. Order fulfilment will begin immediately upon completion of permitting and approval of submittals by the customer, expected by early to mid 2020, with delivery expected to occur within approximately six months of commencement.

The facility is expected to process 1,600 standard cubic feet per minute of landfill gas to produce ~97% pure biomethane, or approximately 380,000 gigajoules (GJ) (or 360,000 million British Thermal Units (MMBTU)) annually, of clean Renewable Natural Gas (“RNG”) for direct injection into the local gas distribution network owned and operated by SoCalGas, the largest natural gas utility in the United States.  In addition, the residual off-gas, a byproduct of the biogas upgrading process, will be blended with natural gas to generate power for on-site facilities and processes. This project is designed to achieve stringent SoCalGas Rule 30 quality specifications and may be the first of its kind to work in conjunction with power generation to target 100% methane recovery. To date, there are no projects upgrading landfill gas into RNG for injection into SoCalGas’ network.

Greenlane’s Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) technology solution was selected for this project based on several criteria, including reliability, overall life-cycle cost, and ability to work seamlessly with other processes. Biogas upgrading is a process through which trace impurities in the biogas stream are removed and carbon dioxide is separated from methane (CH4) to produce pipeline-spec biomethane suitable for injection into the natural gas grid and for direct use as vehicle fuel.

“This project is a great opportunity to showcase Greenlane’s advanced and reliable technology,” said Brad Douville, President & CEO of Greenlane. “Our solution is targeting 100% methane capture from the landfill site. Recovered landfill methane will be upgraded and then piped directly into SoCalGas’ natural gas grid, meeting their stringent Rule 30 gas quality standards with the residual off-gas blended with natural gas for onsite power generation. This is a real win-win for the environment and generates attractive economics.”

About Greenlane Renewables
Greenlane Renewables is a provider of biogas to renewable natural gas (RNG) upgrading systems. The company has over 30 years industry experience, patented proprietary technology, and over 100 biogas upgrading units supplied into 18 countries worldwide, including the world’s largest biogas upgrading facility.

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Canada: Construction Waste Rules Set to Change

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Written by by Jonathan D. Cocker, Baker McKenzie

The numbers speak for themselves – construction, along with renovation and demolition (CRD) waste has long been one of the largest waste streams in Canada (e.g. wood, asphalt roofing, drywall, etc). Further, unlike waste streams of similar size such as municipal solid waste and organics/food waste, CRD waste has been relatively untouched by regulation in either its generation or its disposal.  This appears about to change.

CAP Required EPR for CRD Wastes by 2017

The Canadian Action Plan for Extended Producer Responsibility, CCME, September 2009, (the CAP) included important cross-country commitments by every province and territory to require Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for CRD wastes within 8 years of the CAP.

CRD waste was to be subject to EPR along with “Phase I” wastes and other “Phase 2” wastes such as furniture, textiles, carpeting and appliances.  While there has been demonstrable success among the provinces and territories with Phase I material EPR programs, the inverse has been true for Phase II, including for CRD waste:

Despite these documented successes, there continues to be major challenges. Firstly and most importantly, the CCME goal for action by 2017 on the Phase 2 product list (construction and demolition materials, furniture, textiles and carpet, appliances and ozone depleting substances) will not be met. Construction and demolition materials are a major component of the solid waste stream both by weight and percentage and despite a few studies, small pilot programs and private initiatives there has been little progress in this area.

Overview of the State of EPR in Canada: What Have We Learned?, EPR Canada, September 2017

From the Shadows to the Spotlight?

Sceptics might ask why CRD waste cannot simply remain in the regulatory no-man’s land between unfettered disposal and comprehensive waste management- namely, the soft industry CRD waste goals.

After all, Ontario has quietly dropped CRD waste from its circular economy commitments.  The former administration’s 2016 Strategy for a Waste-Free Ontario: Building a Circular Economy, called for the construction and demolition sectors to dramatically increase resource recovery efforts, including through amendments to the “3 Rs” Industrial, Commercial & Institutional Sectors waste regulations.  Since then, CRD waste has vanished from the province’s EPR regulatory agenda (other than in respect of soils).  But perhaps, EPR alone was never the answer for all CRD materials.

The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME), after a 3-year consultation and policy development process, aims to return CRD waste to the policy forefront with a much broader and more robust set of policy requirements to reduce and resource recovery CRD waste.

CCME Aims to Change CRD Industries

The new CCME Guide for Identifying, Evaluating and Selecting Policies for Influencing Construction, Renovation and Demolition Waste Management, 2019 contains a nearly exhaustive study of the policy options provinces and territories may adopt in reducing and diverting CRD waste.

Among the options presented:

  • Permitting process to better incorporate CRD waste reduction and diversion;
  • Producer responsibility programs for flooring, drywall, window glass, brick, asphalt roofing and engineering/treated wood;
  • Restrictions upon CRD waste transportation and disposal bans;
  • Levies upon virgin materials and non-divertible CRD wastes;
  • Building code, certifications and standards changes to require CRD waste reduction/diversion; and
  • Public procurement to include CRD waste management.

Clearly, the days of the 3Rs as exhaustive CRD waste regulation are numbered.

Regional Approaches to CRD Regulation

In some of the CCME waste / EPR policies, typically relating to specific products and consumer materials, there is an understandable push for cross-Canada uniformity of approach and related regulatory requirements.

For CRD waste, however, the CCME allows a combination of the best policy options above to be “tailored to [a jurisdiction’s] unique political, economic and market conditions.” How to resolve local and regional needs with industry’s desire for consistent and transparent national standards will be just one of many areas of interest to CRD industries.

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The CCME has arguably laid out a detailed and instructive regulatory roadmap for CRD wastes. It is now up to the CRD industries and their partners to determine how to make the most out of these challenges and opportunities across Canada.

This article is republished at the permission of the author. It was first published on the Baker McKenzie Environmental Law Insights website.

About the Author

Jonathan D. Cocker heads Baker McKenzie’s Environmental Practice Group in Canada and is an active member of the firm’s Global Consumer Goods & Retail and Energy, Mining and Infrastructure groups. Mr. Cocker provides advice and representation to multinational companies on a variety of environmental and product compliance matters, including extended producer responsibilities, dangerous goods transportation, GHS, regulated wastes, consumer product and food safety, and contaminated lands matters. He assisted in the founding of one of North America’s first Circular Economy Producer Responsibility Organizations and provides advice and representation to a number of domestic and international industry groups in respect of resource recovery obligations. Mr. Cocker was recently appointed the first Sustainability Officer of the International Bar Association Mr. Cocker is a frequent speaker and writer on environmental issues and has authored numerous publications including recent publications in the Environment and Climate Change Law Review, Detritus – the Official Journal of the International Waste Working Group, Chemical Watch, Circular Economy: Global Perspectives published by Springer, and in the upcoming Yale University Journal of Industrial Ecology’s special issue on Material Efficiency for Climate Change Mitigation. Mr. Cocker maintains a blog focused upon international resource recovery issues at environmentlawinsights.com.

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Battery Industries Prepare For Circular Economy

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Written by Jonathan D. Cocker, Partner at Baker McKenzie

With some important recent developments, the battery industries and their resource recovery partners have taken significant steps in preparing for the coming individual producer responsibility (IPR) circular economy laws.

More specifically, Ontario’s Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act will impose regulated IPR obligations upon makers, brand owners and first importers of a range of small and large size batteries as of June 30, 2020.   Clearly, the time for needed industry-wide structural adjustments to meet this challenge is now.

Single-Use Batteries, But What Else?

There has been some shuffling between the batteries and electronics industries as to when and how the two sectors will transition to IPR.  Critics of the transitions have argued that some or all of the battery categories must be regulated under IPR at the same time as e-waste, December 31st, 2020.

The Batteries Regulation, likely due for release in the coming weeks, will hopefully make clear as to which categories of batteries will be caught by this resource recovery law beyond single use batteries – which will necessarily be regulated by June 30th, 2020.  The draft regulation proposed the following battery categories:

  1. Small single use batteries weighing 5 kilograms or less
  2. Small rechargeable batteries weighing 5 kilograms or less
  3. Large batteries weighing more than 5 kilograms.

It may be that some of these categories, or industry-specific battery types within these proposed categories, have staggered compliance dates.  Either way, Ontario’s batteries are joining tires as North America’s first circular economy-regulated materials.

The Case for Some Exclusions

Perhaps the most contentious products potentially caught under the coming Batteries Regulation are lead acid batteries, commonly used in vehicles.  The Canadian Battery Association has long run a voluntary stewardship program in Ontario, as well as some regulated programs in certain other provinces, for the successful recycling of lead acid batteries.

Used Car Batteries

The value of imposing regulated IPR for lead acid batteries in Ontario has been openly questioned by the CBA, which boasts very high new battery recovery rates already.  Its recovery rate includes other types of lead-acid battery applications:  energy storage, motive power as well as batteries for other applications such as boats, skidoos etc that are not legally considered vehicles. The CBA takes the position that all lead-acid batteries within a circular economy should be exempt. Exempting vehicle batteries under IPR, when their tires and waste oils (and perhaps other components) will be governed by the resource recovery regime, does appear to be a challenge.

Further, there remains the thorny issue of how responsibility is allocated between battery and electronic producers for embedded batteries.  The Batteries Regulation will hopefully resolve this.

No Institutional Incumbent

Unlike tires and the coming transition for e-waste (tech and A/V), where the government-designated industry-funded organization has been positioned to transition to becoming the IPR producer responsibility organization (PRO), the private sector response to batteries will be different.

Call2Recycle, traditionally a voluntary market collector of recyclable batteries in Ontario, does have experience operating programs to meet regulated battery recycling obligations (rechargeable and single use) in some other provinces of Canada.

Call2Recycle has signaled its intention to be a registered PRO for certain categories of batteries.  It would appear likely that the largest brand owners will obtain their recovery services through this battery PRO, but producer choices remain to be finalized once the market fully privatizes.

The CBA also has a Memorandum of Understanding with Call2Recycle, which will serve both parties under IPR in Ontario and elsewhere.

RMC – Call2Recycle Partnership Agreement

Most recently, a partnership agreement for the management of end-of-life single use and rechargeable batteries has been entered into between Call2Recycle and Ontario-based Raw Materials Company (RMC).

RMC has been the only in-province recycler of waste-regulated batteries under the current government-directed program and will likely gain opportunities to enhance its competitive position with both Call2Recycle and other battery producer groups, as this resource recovery market developments.

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While there are only slightly more than 6 months for the battery industries to prepare for the circular economy, there are clear signs that anticipatory market adjustments are already happening to meet the coming demands of the Batteries Regulation, just as the legislation had intended.

This article has been republished with the permission of the author. It was first published in the Environmental Law Insights.

About the Author

Jonathan D. Cocker heads Baker McKenzie’s Environmental Practice Group in Canada and is an active member of the firm’s Global Consumer Goods & Retail and Energy, Mining and Infrastructure groups. Mr. Cocker provides advice and representation to multinational companies on a variety of environmental and product compliance matters, including extended producer responsibilities, dangerous goods transportation, GHS, regulated wastes, consumer product and food safety, and contaminated lands matters. He assisted in the founding of one of North America’s first Circular Economy Producer Responsibility Organizations and provides advice and representation to a number of domestic and international industry groups in respect of resource recovery obligations. Mr. Cocker was recently appointed the first Sustainability Officer of the International Bar Association Mr. Cocker is a frequent speaker and writer on environmental issues and has authored numerous publications including recent publications in the Environment and Climate Change Law Review, Detritus – the Official Journal of the International Waste Working Group, Chemical Watch, Circular Economy: Global Perspectives published by Springer, and in the upcoming Yale University Journal of Industrial Ecology’s special issue on Material Efficiency for Climate Change Mitigation. Mr. Cocker maintains a blog focused upon international resource recovery issues at environmentlawinsights.com.

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Too Much Waste, Too Little Investment

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Written by Mark Bernstein, Alicia Marseille, and Rajesh Buch, Arizona State University and co-authored by Kimberley Marumahoko, Venkatesh Kini, and Peter Schelstraete, Ubuntoo

Fifty years ago, a US undersecretary of the Interior told a waste management seminar in Houston that “trash is our only growing resource.” Forty-two years and only a little progress later, the Bureau of International Recycling proclaimed, “the end of the waste era.” In her recent book “Waste,” UC Berkeley Professor Kate O’Neill describes waste as a global resource frontier. She suggests that wastes are no longer unwanted, but instead will help fuel a richer and more sustainable future. Despite these proclamations for the past fifty years and the knowledge that there is ‘value’ in what we throw away, we continue to put most if it into landfills, our waterways and our oceans. And micro-plastics now are showing up in the air as well.

By 2050, the world is expected to generate 3.4 billion tons of waste annually, increasing drastically from today’s 2 billion tons. In the US, municipal waste is expected to grow 20% by 2030. Single use plastics and cardboard are driving most of this growth. Some people say it won’t be too long before there are more plastics in the ocean than fish. Just this week, a beached sperm whale was found with a 210-pound ball of waste — predominantly plastics — ingested in its belly, likely the cause for its death.

It is possible we are finally beginning to see an attitude shift. Urban waste management is getting more expensive and taking larger shares of municipal and corporate budgets. Tipping fees in the U.S. are expected to rise 2–3% per year over the next few years with some regions facing 5% a year increases in costs. For the past two decades, recycling has been a viable solution to keeping waste costs in check, but this was driven mostly by cost effective, low cost end markets existing through shipping materials around the world mostly importantly to China. In 2018, this changed when China stopped importing materials. This combined with an increasingly aware public, may start to change the dynamics.

The future of taking advantage of the value in our waste stream is to invest in innovation. One thing that the easy exporting of waste to China did, was to hinder innovation in the recycling space. When we analyze the investment streams in the waste management industry, we see evidence of this. Only 0.3% of international development financing has gone into solid waste management. The industry has also been lacking substantial investment in innovation. As one entrepreneur half-jokingly told us:

“Innovation in waste management means buying a bigger excavator.”

Ubuntoo, in partnership with the Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service at Arizona State University (ASU), researched global data on startup investments between 1995 and 2019. Investments in startups is a great indicator for industry innovation. The investments in these spaces means that entrepreneurs see opportunity to develop new business models and innovation and are willing to dedicate their professional lives to those. And on the other hand, it signals that investors see the market opportunity for value and wealth creation.

Source: Crunchbase, 1995–2019

WeWork funding in 8 years is double that of all recycling startups in the past 24 years

The numbers for recycling are very disappointing. Whereas investments have poured into industries like healthcare, software, energy and transportation, only 0.22% of the total startup investments have found their way towards waste management and recycling startups. WeWork, the struggling “tech” real estate company founded in 2010, raised a total of $12.8 billion in 14 funding rounds. That is double the amount of all recycling startup funding over the last 24 years!

There are many reasons for this investment shortfall:

  1. As noted above, the ease and low cost of sending materials to China meant there was no incentive to innovate;
  2. Fluctuation in material markets over time have hurt overall business predictability. Global markets for secondary materials are subject to policy changes, economic ups and downs and pricing of virgin materials. In the case of plastics for example, crude oil costs have remained at very low levels, effectively out-competing recycled materials. In addition, in many places around the world the low cost of landfilling has hampered the growth of a recycling market;
  3. Many of the benefits of effective recycling and sustainable materials development are not as visible to people and are about “avoidance” of cost. At a macro-level, an effective recycling system can prevent negative impact on human health and climate change. But the benefit of that is hard to calculate and even harder to monetize;
  4. This is a tough business to be in. Unlike Social Media or SaaS (Software as a Service), most startups in the space of recycling and materials are dealing with physical interconnected set-ups, complex supply chains and a much longer incubation period. For a VC looking for an exit in 3–5 years and multiples exceeding 10x, investing in the digital space has been a more attractive proposition;
  5. Until recently, there were no clear policy drivers that created the right environment for investments in this space.

Time to invest in our only rapidly growing resource: waste

Although the past five decades have been disappointing, we are now entering an era of unprecedented opportunity. Over the past few years we have witnessed the emergence of a new generation of entrepreneurs and investors, working hand in hand to create material impact. As the graph below shows, there was an increase in investment activity 2018, perhaps in response to the China ban, and early indications show that we are on the same track in 2019.

Source: Crunchbase 2010–2019

We believe that the underlying drivers for new investment in this space can be systemic and long-term, but they will need some help. The following factors can drive this:

  1. Governments around the world are changing policies and legislation related to single-use plastics and waste imports. A flurry of Asian countries has changed their stance on waste imports. Many governments around the world have been stipulating collection targets and guidelines for the inclusion of recycled plastics (eg. European Union guidelines to include 30% recycled plastic in beverage bottles by the year 2030). And, politicians are embracing the idea of new materials. Earlier this year during the VivaTech conference, French president Emmanuel Macron endorsed bioplastics and underlined its potential for job creation. This already is starting to have a tremendous impact on the materials market. Many large and small food and beverage companies are scrambling to assure supply of recycled PET while investing in new innovative materials.
  2. We are witnessing a groundswell of entrepreneurs, innovators and university researchers across the globe in this space. They have access to technologies and innovations that used to be accessible only to large companies before: AI, blockchain, robotics, object recognition technology, bio-technology and materials. It is a tidal wave of opportunity that is here to stay and that will have tremendous impact over time.
  3. The advent of big data is starting to have an impact on the recycling industry. Tech companies and large-scale producers are using consumer behavior data and material tracking to identify new opportunities and markets for recycled materials.
  4. A rapidly growing number of impact investors, family offices and corporate VCs have capitalized on the opportunities. Organizations like The Closed Loop Fund, Circulate Capital and the Alliance to End Plastic Waste are making tangible investments in the space of recycling — not just in infrastructure for the “here and now” but also in innovation for tomorrow. We have seen corporate VC arms of companies stepping up to the plate, mostly driven by economic opportunity, partially also by social responsibility. For example: AB Inbev (100+ Accelerator), Danone (Danone Manifesto Ventures), Levi Strauss & Co., Nike, Suez, Henkel and Unilever– as well as household names in the recycling and plastics industry.
  5. The consumer is voting with their wallet. In 2018, the Stern Center for Sustainable Business has conducted an extensive study on market performance of more than 71,000 products in the United States. They found that 16.6% of products in the US market that have sustainability claims have contributed to more than 50% of the market growth between 2013 and 2018! And although just a portion of those claims were related to recycling and packaging materials, it shows that sustainability buying behavior is not a fringe phenomenon anymore.

In light of this, Arizona State University and Ubuntoo are stepping up our commitments too.

ASU is expanding on their successful regional economic development platform, the Resource Innovation Solutions Network (RISN), to launch the Circular Economy Regional Innovation Hub (CERIH). The RISN platform was a successful partnership between ASU’s Solutions Service and the City of Phoenix that worked with over 16 early stage companies over 2 years to create the following impact: $3.86 million in capital raised, $5.17 million in revenues generated, 7 patents filed, and 22 products launched. CERIH will expand beyond the boundaries of Phoenix and will be an economic driver for developing and accelerating circular solutions and technologies to meet the needs of both public and private sector entities. CERIH will continue working with early stage companies to provide unique access to resources and support from ASU, and it will be the first of its kind to focus on accelerating regional circular economy solutions with unique access to municipal resources, space for pilots and global partnerships.

Ubuntoo is announcing the development of a Funding Marketplace. Of the 700+ innovations that we feature on our platform, more than 70 have indicated that they are currently seeking funding. At the same time, many corporate VCs, family offices and impact VCs are already Ubuntoo members. Given our unique access to the ecosystem and our comprehensive global network, we see ourselves playing an important role in accelerating investments towards innovations that reduce or eliminate plastic waste and pollution.

This article has been a collaboration between Arizona State University Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service and Ubuntoo.

Mark Bernstein, Chair, Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service, Arizona State University. Mark Bernstein has 25 years of experience pioneering energy and sustainability solutions through robust analysis and innovative frameworks across academic, private, public and non-profit sectors. As the Rob and Melani Walton Chair for Sustainability Solutions, Mark leads an effort to make measurable impacts on sustainability and influence decisionmaking by utilizing the deep knowledge and experience resources across Arizona State University and drive collaborations and partnerships that will create global solutions.

Alicia Marseille, Director of Innovation, Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service, Arizona State University. Alicia Marseille serves as the Director of Innovation following her successful directorship of the RISN Incubator, a circular economy accelerator within the Resource Innovation and Solutions Network, or RISN. The RISN Incubator is a collaboration between the Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service and Entrepreneurship + Innovation departments at Arizona State University along with the City of Phoenix and is partially funded by a U.S. Economic Development Administration grant.

Rajesh Buch, Director, Sustainability Practice, International Development, Arizona State University. Rajesh Buch drives Arizona State University’s efforts to provide solutions to the complex sustainability challenges facing the developing world by linking ASU’s world-class researchers to international development funding agencies, and by fostering partnerships with NGOs, the public and private sectors, and foundations.

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Canadian Anaerobic Digestion Guideline

The Canadian Biogas Association (CBA) has developed an industry-led, national Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Guideline document. The AD Guideline provides recommended planning, design, and operational practices for AD facilities that process food and organic waste materials. The document aims to create a clear outline of best practices for biogas projects and assist developers and stakeholders with the regulatory process and remove barriers to support growth in the green economy.

The AD Guideline addresses a gap following a global jurisdictional scan that found over 20 AD Guidelines or supporting documents in Europe, Australia, and the US with no equivalent document for Canada. The AD Guideline was shared in draft form with CBA members, biogas industry colleagues, and key stakeholders in several regions across Canada in early 2019 with notable input from government departments, industry organizations, and members representing agriculture, municipal and private interests. By far the overlying sentiments from the feedback was tremendously positive.

Now, a first of kind Canadian AD Guideline offers technical guidance to support continued development of biogas projects in Canada. The CBA would like to thank committee members and stakeholders for their contributions and interest in the development of this important resource.

AD Guideline Development
The CBA’s objectives in developing the AD Guideline are:

  • Create a clear outline of best practices for biogas projects;
  • Assist developers and stakeholders with the regulatory process and remove barriers to support growth in the green economy;
  • Inform proponents to minimize or prevent, using buffers or other control measures, the exposure of any person, property, plant or animal life to adverse effects associated with the operation of food and organic waste AD facilities.

The AD Guideline is written for industry by industry. The AD Guideline is developed to assist stakeholders in deployment of AD facilities. Stakeholders include developers, regulators, organizations with specific or general interest in AD facilities. The AD Guideline focuses on AD facilities that process food and organic waste, including agricultural feedstock.

Requesting Your Copy
If you wish to receive a copy of the Canadian AD Guideline, please contact the Canadian Biogas Association.

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Montreal announces Composting Pilot Project at 22 Schools

The City of Montreal recently announced that is is embarking on a pilot project with 22 local elementary and secondary schools in which organics will be collected for composting. The pilot is part of the City’s efforts to be a zero waste community by 2020.

Pickup of compostable food waste will be phased in over the next year at participating schools. Compost collection will be expanded to all of the city’s more than 700 schools starting in 2025.

Recently, Montreal’s standing committee on water and the environment kicked off public consultations on the zero-waste policy. It calls for a 70-per-cent reduction in the waste that ends up in landfill by 2025 and an 85-per-cent reduction by 2030.

The city wants to decrease the amount of organic waste and recyclable materials Montrealers discard by 10 per cent by 2025 and by 20 per cent by 2030.

The compost will be collected from the schools on the same day it is picked up from homes in the neighbourhoods where the schools are located.

Public consultations on the zero waste plan will be held over four days between Jan. 9 and 16. Citizens or organizations who would like to express their views must register by next Wednesday, either online or by calling 514-872-3000. Written briefs may be submitted until Dec. 20 at commissions@ville.montreal.qc.ca

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The Role of Chemical Recycling in a Circular Economy and Effective Waste Management

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Written by Zoltan Kish, Ph.D., Quasar Science Tech

The increasing amount of waste is one of the most challenging problems facing the World, which creates enormous environmental problems. According to the World Bank, Canada produces the most waste per capita in the world. Additionally, Canada recycles just 9 percent of its plastics. Banning foreign waste import by China and other counties has not helped to waste recycling business in Canada. In addition, shifting the recycling program to the producer responsibility by the Ontario Government, will reduce further plastic waste recycling and will increase the plastic pollution. A ban of certain single-use plastic products (e.g., straws, bags) may not solve the spread of plastic litter and environmental problems. Without more effective and sustainable ways to manage produced waste, more and more waste will end up in landfills polluting our land, water, and air.

At the same time, we have a tremendous business opportunity to convert waste into usable sustainable products. According to a market study report prepared by Market Insights Reports, the smart waste management market was valued at $1.41 billion (USD) in 2018 and is expected to reach $5.19 billion by 2024, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.68%, during the forecast period of 2019-2024.

Contaminated and mixed waste products (e.g., plastic, paper, industrial waste, medical waste, MSW) are challenging to recycle by mechanical/physical processing. Especially, traditional plastic waste recycling has difficulties and limitations. Mechanical sorting is not effective for mixed plastic waste. Thousands of different types of plastic are manufactured by combinations of different resin types, dyes, and additives. In addition, the plastic material quality is very susceptible to contamination. Even carefully selected plastic materials can only be recycled limited times in similar products since it degrades every time after reheating. Therefore, most plastic products are downcycled into items of reduced value, such as textiles, toys or fibres, and eventually, end up in landfills and water resources creating tremendous environmental problems. Replacing plastics with alternative materials, such as glass and metals would cost more to manufacture due to the higher energy and other resource consumption. The problem is the way of the current waste management operating.

On the other hand, waste plastic can be recycled into high-value products using advanced and cost-effective waste conversion technologies. The circular economy is not only based on simple reusing waste products. The purpose the recycling is to redesign and convert waste into forms retaining as high value as possible in a circular economy. We need sustainable and effective waste management to protect our environment and develop a working circular economy. In a circular economy, chemical recycling can play a pivotal role in waste conversion into usable materials and clean energy.

Chemical Recycling for a Circular Economy

Chemical recycling as waste recycling using effective waste conversion technology is essential for a working circular economy. Illinois and Ohio have become the most recent states to pass laws making it easier to build chemical recycling facilities, regulating them as recycling operations rather than waste processing plants. Canadian Government could also consider that as a tool to develop a new approach – “Chemical Recycling” in waste management. Regrettably, Canada and other G7 countries are planning to use waste-to-energy incineration as part of a plastic pollution solution. However, incineration is a very costly and inefficient way for waste conversion into energy and generating highly toxic and carcinogenic pollutants.

The environmental impact of waste can be minimized by proper waste management applying advanced waste conversion technologies. The government should address the demand to solve the incredible waste accumulation problem by developing appropriate tools for waste management challenges and supporting the development of effective waste conversion technologies. We should focus more on waste diversion from landfills and water resources, and the conversion of waste into high-value products. Garbage can be converted into high-value clean energy and sustainable products using advanced and cost-effective waste conversion technologies, such as anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, gasification, plasma-enhanced gasification, and steam gasification. Therefore, the circular economy should include the use of effective waste conversion technologies to produce high-value usable products. Perspectives of different waste conversion technologies are provided in the article – “Perspectives on Waste-to-Energy Technologies”.

Chemical Recycling should be based on reliable and cost-effective waste conversion technologies. Therefore, it is very important to do technical due diligence before investing and applying new technology to prevent wasting time and money. Regrettably, investors often do not take the time to evaluate the proposed technology and, therefore, the underlying scientific/technological basis of the business is often neglected in the CleanTech sectors. As a result of this, enormous and overpriced facilities were built producing not profitable products. In addition to financial data and management of the company, the underlying scientific/technology base of the applied technology should be considered. Science is supposed to be an essential pillar of a successful and sustainable business. Consequently, it is very important to properly establish the underlying scientific/technology base for applied technologies to build a successful waste conversion plant. The success of waste conversion technology applications depends on the following main factors:

  • The underlying scientific/technological basis of the process
  • Implementation of effective scrubbing systems to remove contaminants
  • Process modelling
  • Mass & Energy balance
  • Proper engineering design
  • Financial data based on mass & energy balance
  • Waste feedstock evaluation, preparation and availability
  • Waste energy conversion efficiency
  • Quantity and quality of the produced products
  • Applications of the products
  • Cost-effectiveness of the project

As a result of many years of development, a unique and cost-effective waste convection technology has been developed and tested at the pre-commercial waste conversion facility.  The developed technology is based on a steam gasification process in combination with a reliable scrubbing/cleaning system. The steam gasification technology represents a potential alternative to the traditional treatments of waste feedstocks (e.g. plastic, biomass, MSW, sewage sludge, industrial by-products) to produce high-quality syngas, which contains no noxious oxides and higher hydrogen concentration than products produced by traditional gasification. The chemistry is different due to the high concentration of steam as a reactant and the total exclusion of air and, therefore, oxygen from the steam reformation process. The proposed technology using an indirectly heated kiln in combination with a reliable and effective scrubbing/cleaning system without a feedstock sorting requirement. The technology uses “off the shelf” commercially proven equipment, which significantly lowers the capital and operating costs compared to other waste conversion technologies.

In a working circular economy, a solution for waste disposal and clean energy and sustainable product regeneration is an effective waste conversion technology application based on thermo-chemical and bio-chemical processes. The produced product type depends on the types of feedstock and reactants, and the applied processing conditions as applied physico-chemical interaction conditions in the system. The applied waste conversion technology type depends on the waste feedstock composition and the market requirement on the produced products from waste. The suitable waste conversion technology can divert waste from landfills and convert waste into usable products and prevent contamination of our environment. The waste steam gasification technology as a cost-effective process is most suitable for contaminated and mixed waste (including plastic waste) conversion into various forms of high-value sustainable products, such as electricity, hydrogen, liquid synthetic fuels, and chemicals. At the current stage, based on market demand, hydrogen production from mixed waste (including contaminated plastic waste) is the most cost-effective solution. Using the steam gasification technology for waste conversion into hydrogen is an opportunity for a profitable business, which can solve the world’s biggest problem – the enormous waste accumulation.

There is a requirement for a new and innovative approach in the development of a solution for waste management challenges, waste recycling, plastic waste pollution reduction and a working circular economy. The used waste conversion technologies should be efficient and combined with a reliable scrubbing/cleaning system to remove contaminants in order to generate clean/ renewable energy and other sustainable products and prevent pollution of the surrounding environment. The application of advanced and effective waste conversion technologies can offer an innovative solution to the waste accumulation problem and making a positive impact on the protection of our environment.

Chemical recycling based on cost-effective waste conversion technologies can provide a fundamental shift in the way of produced waste handling in a circular economy. In the working circular economy, the use of cost-effective waste conversion technologies is an innovative waste management strategy to divert waste from landfills, produce clean energy and sustainable products, reduce depletion of natural resources, protect our environment, save time and money. Chemical recycling is a comprehensive and innovative solution to the complex problem of waste management and moving towards a circular economy.

About the Author

Dr. Zoltan Kish has a Ph.D. in Chemistry with over 25 years of diverse industrial and academic experience and contributed to more than 70 scientific publications. He has developed and managed complex research and development programs related to alternative/renewable energy, clean technologies, effective waste conversion into usable products, sustainability, and advanced materials applications. Dr. Kish was the Director of Research & Development at two Canadian alternative energy companies where he focused on R&D and commercialization of unique waste conversion technologies and reliable scrubbing/cleaning systems to produce clean and sustainable energy products.

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GFL Environmental aims to raise more capital, Acquires County Waste of Virginia

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GFL Environmental Inc. (“GFL”), headquartered in the Greater Toronto Area, recently announced that it priced its previously announced private offering of US$500 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.125% senior secured notes due 2026  and US$275 million in aggregate principal amount of 7.000% unsecured senior notes due 2026 and in a transaction that was significantly oversubscribed.

GFL previously issued US$400 million in aggregate principal amount of its 7.000% unsecured senior notes due 2026 and the Unsecured Notes will be treated as “Additional Notes” under the indenture governing the Unsecured Notes and will be treated as a single series with the Existing Unsecured Notes under such indenture. In addition to the Notes, GFL expects to raise a minimum of $300 million of equity from existing shareholders of GFL (the “Equity Financing”). The closing of the Equity Financing and the Notes Offering are not contingent on each other.

GFL intends to use the net proceeds from the offering of the Notes, together with the Equity Financing (i) to fund certain acquisitions, including a pending acquisition, (ii) to repay outstanding borrowings under its revolving credit facility, (iii) to pay related fees and expenses in connection therewith and (iv) for general corporate purposes.

GFL also announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire County Waste of Virginia, LLC and its subsidiaries.  The transaction, which is expected to close in January 2020, is subject to receipt of customary regulatory approvals.

County Waste offers solid waste management services, including collection, transportation, transfer, recycling and disposal of non-hazardous solid waste for municipal, residential and commercial and industrial customers in Virginia and Eastern Pennsylvania. County Waste’s collection and hauling operations utilize a fleet of over 410 trucks that service over 410,000 residential customers and 19,000 commercial customers. County Waste owns six transfer stations and one material recovery facility and operates a landfill in Troutville, Virginia.

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John Nicholson

New Recycling Facility Opens in Lachine

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The City of Lachine, a borough within the city of Montreal on the Island of Montreal, has a new state-of-the art recycling facility. The centre, built at a cost of $50M, will process 100,000 tonnes of material per year.

Some 80 trucks a day will arrive at the centre every day. The centre will be able to process 100,000 tonnes of recycled materials per year — 58 per cent of the recyclable material collected in the city.

Lachine Mayor Maja Vodanovic sees the opening of a recycling plant in Lachine as one important element in a much larger plan — the creation of what is called a circular economy.

The goal of a circular economy, also referred to as circularity, is to eliminate waste by creating a closed loop. Material waste is reused, refurbished, repaired or repurposed. The circular template differs from the linear purchase-and-discard practice. The circular process not only reduces waste, it reduces the number of road trips required to cart waste to another location.

The plant will use automated machinery to separate paper, cardboard and plastic. A staff of 25 workers are required to operate the facility.

In the new year, glass recycling equipment will be added to the operations at the facility at a cost of $2.5 million.

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pixeljun

Vancouver’s Ongoing Campaign to reduce Holiday Season Waste

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Since 2013, the Metro Vancouver has had a holiday season campaign that attempts to educate the public on waste issues related to gift giving.

Celebrate winter holidays with gifts that don’t end up in the trash. “Consumers buy a lot of things for family and friends during the gift-giving season but it’s the memories of times and experiences shared with the people we love that we remember the most,” said Malcolm Brodie, Chair of Metro Vancouver’s Zero Waste Committee. “Many people are celebrating Christmas and other holidays and events by choosing gifts that do not get buried in a landfill after a few months. Some people may want to give gifts of time or experiences, like a ticket to a concert, lessons at a community centre, or a day on snowshoes with the family. People can also choose to give fewer, higher-quality gifts that will last for years. “You can be a green angel,” Brodie said. “Create memories, not garbage.”

This is the sixth year that Metro Vancouver has carried out a waste reduction campaign during December which uses advertising at public transit facilities, in social media and news media.

In January 2013, after the 2012 Christmas campaign, a public opinion survey found that about half of those polled were aware of the campaign. One in four of those polled said that the advertising has some effect on the types of gifts they bought at Christmas. “Waste reduction and recycling is Metro Vancouver’s first priority,” said Board Chair Greg Moore. “This seasonal campaign is just one of the many initiatives the regional district, its member municipalities and partners are undertaking to generate less garbage and recycle as much as we possibly can.”

Many Green Gift Ideas are posted on Metro Vancouver’s website, on the Create Memories, not Garbage pages. There are also electronic greeting cards and videos, such as Christmas Campaign – Create Memories, not Garbage and Christmas at the Landfill.

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