AGENDA ADDENDUM COUNCIL WORKSHOP Monday, November 28, 2011 7:00 p.m. Committee Room, Municipal Hall 355 West Queens Road, North Vancouver, BC Council Members: Mayor Richard Walton Councillor Roger Bassam Councillor Robin Hicks Councillor Mike Little Councillor Doug MacKay-Dunn Councillor Lisa Muri Councillor Alan Nixon www.dnv.org
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District of North Vancouver 355 West Queens Road North Vancouver, BC, Canada V7N 4N5 604-990-2311 www.dnv.org COUNCIL WORKSHOP 7:00 p.m. Monday, November 28, 2011 Committee Room, Municipal Hall 355 West Queens Road, North Vancouver AGENDA ADDENDUM THE FOLLOWING LATE ITEMS ARE ADDED TO THE PUBLISHED AGENDA 4. North Shore Single-Family Food Scraps Recycling Program Memo: Al Lynch, Section Manager Waste Reduction, November 22, 2011 3
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~) North Shore Single-Family Food Scraps Recycling Program November 22, 2011 4. Background Why are we doing this? The Metro Integrated Solid Waste and Resource Management Plan (ISWRMP) requires all member municipalities to have a program to divert food scraps from disposal for single family households by 2011. This requirement supports Metro's target of achieving 70 per cent waste diversion by 2015 as part of their Zero Waste Challenge. As part of the Zero Waste Challenge. Metro will expand the current landfill ban of green waste (yard trimmings) to include all organics in 2015. Food scraps and other compostable materials make up nearly half of the garbage disposed of by residents. Hundreds of thousands of tennes of organic materials can be kept out of landfills each year if these materials are composted. This program will reduce the amount of waste we send to the landfill and reduce greenhouse gases. What Metro municipalities already have Food Scraps Recycling Programs? Port Coquitlam and Port Moody were the first to start single-family food scraps collection (in 2008 and 2009 respectively). They were followed by Burnaby, Coquitlam, Langley, New Westminster, Richmond, City of Vancouver and White Rock. Who is the program for? This program will be for approximately 40,000 single family households on the North Shore which currently have municipal single family garbage collection. Will our Solid Waste Bylaw change? Yes. All three North Shore Municipalities will be required to update their Solid Waste Bylaws to include the Food SCraps Recycling Program. How will the program be measured? The three North Shore Municipalities will measure their diversion by comparing the tonnages of garbage and organics collected. We expect diversion to increase modestly in the first year as residents learn about the program. We will also look at the composition of our garbage to ensure that we see a decrease in the amount of organics year over year. What happens next? North Shore Recycling Program (NSRP) staff continue to work closely with Engineering staff of the three North Shore municipalities and other stakeholders (such as the North Shore Black R North Shore Single-Family Food SCraps Recycling Program 1 5
November 22, 2011 Bear Society) to make final decisions about program design. The program is set to roll-out by April 1, 2012. Outreach to residents will begin early 2012. The Program How will the food scraps recycling program work? Recycling food scraps is easy. 1. Collect all food scraps and food-soiled paper in a lidded container of your choice in your kitchen. 2. Transfer food scraps regularly into one of your yard trimmings bins labeled with a food scraps recycling decal. 3. Put your bin curbside by 7:30am on your regular yard trimmings collection day with the decal facing the street. 4. Feel great because your food scraps will be kept out of the garbage and used to create compost for local farmers, gardeners and landscapers. What happens to the materials collected? The food scraps and yard trimmings couected are taken to the North Shore Transfer Station. At the end of each day they are hauled by truck to Harvest Power's compost fadl1ty in Richmond for processing into compost and soil products. Local farmers, gardeners and landscapers use this product to improve soil and aid plant growth. What can residents put into their yard trimmings bins? Yard trimmings such as leaves. grass clippings, plant clippings. brush and small branches. Food scraps and other household compostable materials such as fruits, vegetables. meat. fish. bones. dairy products and baked goods. Soiled paper products such as used paper towels, paper plates, paper cups. napkins and pizza boxes. A more detailed list of acceptable and non-acceptable materials will be provided to residents and posted on the NSRP website. What can residents use as a food scraps and yard trimmings bin? Residents currently participate in the Yard Trimmings Collection program and have bins already. Simply add food scraps to an existing yard trimmings bin labeled with a food scraps recycling decal. Food scraps are not accepted in kraft paper bags to ensure that they are not an attractant to wildlife. Residents who do not have a yard trimmings container can purchase a 77 litre container from one of many retail outlets. Where can residents get decals for their yard trimmings bins? Food scraps recycling decals will be delivered to each resident with Food SCraps Recycling Program information before the program begins. Additional decals will be available at Municipal Halls. the Recycling Drop off Depot and the NSRP office. R North Shore Single-Family Food Scraps Recycling Program 2 6
November 22, 2011 What can residents use as a kitchen container? Residents can use a container of their choice to store food scraps 1n the kitchen. It will be emptied regularly into the yard trimmings container, so it needs to be easy to carry. Large yogurt containers, ice cream buckets, or jugs are some examples of containers that can be reused. Residents can also buy a kitchen container from a local retailer, or purchase small kraft pzlper bags. Free kitchen containers will also be available from the t~srp al ~velll~ (lfi{j at select locations for pick-up. Kitchen and yard trimmings containers will need to be cleaned regularly to prevent odors and fruit flies. Can residents use plastic bags to line their kitchen container or yard trimmings bin? Plastic, biodegradable or compostable plastic bags are not allowed in either the kitchen container or yard trimmings bin because the compost facility does not accept them. These bags contaminate and interrupt the composting process, resulting in lower quality compost. What if residents want to use a liner with their kitchen container? Residents don't need to line their kitchen container - emptying it regularly and rinsing it each time it is emptied is all that is needed. If liners are preferred, choose newspaper, paper bags or paper towels. Plastic, biodegradable or compostable plastic bags are not acceptable. Do residents need to use a liner in their food scraps & yard trimmings bin? No liner is required. The best way to place materials in your bin is to alternate tayers of yard trimmings with layers of food waste. Alternately, cardboard, newspaper or a kraft bag can be placed inside the yard trimmings bin. Plastic, compostable or biodegradable bags are not accepted. How do I keep my food scraps & yard trimmings bin clean and free ofodours? To reduce odours, layer food scraps with yard trimmings, use small kraft paper bags or wrap food scraps in newspaper. Residents continue to be responsible for keeping all garbage bins, blue boxes, and yard trimmings bins clean. Bins can be washed regularly using mild soap and water. Ifresidents want to use them, where can they buy small kraft paper bags for lining their kitchen containers? NSRP staff whl be working with tocal retailers to ensure that acceptabte products are available to residents. When is pick-up day? There will be no change to the current system. Pick-up day will be weekly on the same day as garbage and recycling. (R North Shore Single-Family Food Scraps Recycling Program 3 7
November 22, 2011 What if the bin isn't full on pick-up day? Bins should be set out for curbside collection on the designated pick up day even if they aren't full. What ifresidents have too much material for their bin? If residents have too much food scraps and yard trimmings to fit in their bin: Put food scraps in the bin as a priority over yard trimmings Consider saving your excess yard trimmings un tit the next collection day, or Put extra yard trimmings only in a kraft paper bag, or Add another yard trimmings bin Residents can also reduce the amount of yard trimmings by grass-cycling, mulching and composting suitable materials such as leaves, grass and vegetable or fruit peelings in a backyard composter. Can residents still use their backyard composter? Yes! Home composting is the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to recycle fruit and vegetable scraps and produces a beneficial soil amendment for your yard and garden. Residents will be encouraged to continue to use backyard compost bins for yard trimmings and fruit and vegetable scraps. Curbside collection can be used for items such as cooked plate scrapings, meat and dairy, which are difficult to safely compost at home. The NSRP will be rolling out a Compost Coaching program in 2012 to ensure that people continue to backyard compost, to recruit new residents to backyard composting and to increase the amount of food scraps going into backyard composts. This program will help to ensure that we meet our diversion goals while keeping municipal costs to a minimum. Can residents still use their in-sink garbage disposal? Garburators waste water and energy - residents are encouraged to resist the convenience of garburators. What about animals getting into bins? Residents were already putting food scraps outside in the garbage, now they're just putting them in a different bin. If residents have issues with animals getting into bins, here are some tips to help prevent that: Keep the yard and food bin in a secure locations such as a garage or shed and put it out in the morning-not the night before. Wrap food scraps in newspaper, used paper towels or paper bags before adding them to the bin. Store scraps in the freezer until collection day. Wash the bin regularly with a mild detergent or a water & vinegar solution. Residents will receive additional Bear Aware information. See the' Bear' section below for more information. R North Shore Single' Family Food Scraps Recycling Program 4 8
November 22, 2011 Who should residents contact iftheir organics pick-up was missed? Residents witt contact their municipality about missed pick-up, as they do now. Questions about the Food Scraps Recycling Program will be directed to NSRP staff. How will residents learn about the program? NSRP slaff are developing a communications strategy and will work closely with each municipality to rotl-out the program. EarLy plans include a direct mailing of program materials to residents before the program begins, a comprehensive ad campaign (such as bus shelters and newspapers), as well as displays, web information and outreach to residents through community groups and events. The communications plan will use the principles of Community Based Social Marketing ((B5M). The NSRP will continue to lead the program development and will also conduct ongoing program measurement, which will require working with neighbourhoods to increase participation once the program has been implemented. How will participation be encouraged? NSRP staff are working closing with Engineering staff to discuss the best ways to encourage participation. Ongoing measurement, communication and outreach will be critical to the program's success. Bears How do Bears Behave? Bears are ruled by their stomachs they only have six months to eat enough calories for the year. They select their food based on abundance, quality and how easy it is to get. Their sense of smell is 7 times greater than a bloodhound's. In a bear's natural habitat, the amount of food available regulates the population. When people increase the calories available, they also increase the population in the area. Bears like non natural foods (attractants) that humans make available because they are calorie rich and require little energy to get. Bears are fast learners and are very persistent. For example, once they get some calorierich food by knocking over a garbage can, they will knock over other garbage cans expecting the same reward. Their tenacity can increase in frequency and intensity, which in turn can pose threats to human property and life. As bears become habituated to garbage, they can become more territorial and more difficult to manage. Poor management of attractants within communities often results in bears being destroyed. When a bear is destroyed in a community where non-natural food is available, a new bear willlike(y move into the area to take its place. If bears cannot find the food they need - if they cannot get the garbage in the garbage can - they leave. Foraging in communities is a learned behavior. What is the Bear issue in North Vancouver? Bear's on the North Shore 2(04-2010{Adapted from Bear Aware Annual Report) cr) North Shore Single-Family Food Scraps Recycling Program 5 9
November 22, 2011 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Average Total Bear Sightings Reported 2537 1310 694 801 1646 917 1608 1350 Bears Destroyed 9 10 6 6 10 1 10 7 Bears Relocated 0 59 7 6 12 6 13 15 Attractants identified in calls to the bear line in 2010 (From Bear Aware Annual Report).. r.~'~ s Geographically speaking, our North Shore communities have developed and expanded into natural bear habitat. The primary bear attractant on the North Shore continues to be outdoor storage of odorous garbage in non-bear-resistant containers between pickup days. Garbage placed at curbside before the morning of collection day was only a small part of the attractant management issues. However, it is the only issue enforceable by a bylaw in the DNV. Regardless of the choice of garbage can, residents are encouraged to keep containers clean and free of odorous contents, and are encouraged to freeze odorous garbage until the morning of collection day. Will the Food Scraps Recycling Program create a new bear attractant? Placing food scraps with yard trimmings will be no different than putting them in a garbage bin. Interviews with other Metro municipalities with similar bear challenges (Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody) suggest that the introduction of a Food Scraps Recycling Program has not created a new bear attractant or any new issues with bears. I..~ North Shore Single-Family Food Scraps Recycling Program 6 10
November 22, 2011 During the Metro Food Scraps Demonstration Program, the Ministry of Environment (MOE) and Bear Aware officers working in the participating communities (including West Vancouver) did not link the food scraps recycling program to any increases in bear complaints. The data gathered from MOE, the municipal bear aware coordinators and the RCMP does not provide a direct conclusion that bear activity changed because of the food scraps recycling collection program. Information from MOE indicates that there are multipte factors that contribute to changes in bear activity in a community and that no one issue can be blamed. However. there is recognition that we continue to have unresolved issues with how the District is addressing garbage as a bear attractant, and as such District and NSRP staff are working closely with the North Shore Black Bear Society (NSBBS) and continuing to conduct research as we move forward with developing the Food Scraps Recycling Program. The NSBBS has provided a letter of support for the Food Scraps collection program and a representative of the NSBBS will be meeting with the 3 North Shore Engineers and municipal staff early in January to discuss the program. What is our plan to address the issue ofbears with regards to how we manage solid waste? Solid Waste staff are working closely with the NSRP and the NSBBS to address the issue of the garbage as a bear attractant. The District currently makes animal resistant Schaefer carts available to residents at a cost of $177.68 each. Any changes to municipal waste management in the District will be considered within a comprehensive Solid Waste Strategy which witt be completed by the FaLL of 2012. In terms of rolling out the Food Scraps Recycling Program, techniques used to manage bear attractants (Le., garbage and food scraps) will be an important part of the program to minimize human-bear conflict. For example, residents will be provided with information in Bear Aware inserts on how to correctly store food scraps to minimize bear attractants. Furthermore, operations staff are considering making the collection of the organics stream a priority, making it the first stream to be collected, with garbage being collected later in the day. What is our Bear Management Plan? As noted above, there are multiple factors that contribute to changes in bear activity in a community - no one issue can be blamed, and only addressing one issue wilt not solve the problem. To effectively address the management of bear attractants in our community, the DNV witt need a 'North Shore Bear Strategy' that incorporates public education, bylaws, bylaw enforcement and municipal waste management. R North Shore Single-Family Food Scraps Recycling Program 7 11
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