Quantifying the Organic Matter Diversion Resulting from Domestic Composting and a Study of Potential Organic Matter Collection Scenarios in a Context of Incentive-Based Pricing in Beaconsfield

The City of Beaconsfield wants to evaluate the feasibility of reducing organic matters in waste by using smart collection with incentive pricing because its organic waste recovery rate does not meet provincial requirements. Beaconsfield is part of the Montreal Agglomeration. It has nearly 20,000 residents and a few shops. As an affluent suburb in Montreal’s West Island, it has abundant greenery and mostly single-family housing (over 94%). Municipalities barely achieve their organic waste recovery objectives, even with the implementation of curbside organic waste collection. The Montreal Agglomeration, of which most of its boroughs and cities offer a curbside organic waste collection service, indicated in its 2016 report that it had a 20% recovery rate for organic waste. With this project, the City of Beaconsfield has the following objectives: 1. Reduce organic matters in waste 2. Measure quantities recycled through home composting and grasscycling 3. Reduce GHG emissions caused by trucking out organic waste 4. Fight food waste and reduce at the source Indicators used to measure the environmental benefits are as follows: • 50% reduction in the quantity of organic matter in waste compared to 2016, i.e., less than 48 kg/resident/year • Quantity of organic waste collected (kg/resident/year) • Quantity of food waste composted in kg/resident/year • Quantity of grass clippings in kg/year/m2 • Fuel consumption L/dwelling, which will be converted into tonnes of CO2 equivalent The methodology is based on smart collection with incentive pricing. Smart collection is a term commonly used to describe the use of technology for tracing waste collection. When waste management services pricing is applied according to the user pay principle, then we are talking about incentive pricing. Smart collection may be implemented without incentive pricing and incentive pricing without smart collection. However, only incentive pricing would result in a return on investment in smart collection technologies and achieve notable waste reductions. Smart collection with incentive pricing can result in cost savings and efficiency, all while providing tools for monitoring collected waste. It is a downstream solution, by reducing waste at the source and also upstream, as it can prevent contamination between various collection streams. The approach planned for the study involves four steps: 1. Document innovative solutions and wins in smart organic waste collection 2. Collect environmental and economical data 3. Analyze the performance of each scenario (based on environmental criteria and costs) 4. Consult with residents The City of Beaconsfield intends to consult with its stakeholders as follows: • Residents will be kept informed throughout the project, via the municipal newspaper, website and press releases. The consultation will be held at the end of the project during the open house days when residents will be invited to state their position in a survey. • The Beaconsfield Environmental Advisory Committee (BEAC) holds monthly meetings attended by the project manager and the environmental advisor. • Landscaping contractors will be met with to take part in the grasscycling evaluation program. • Residents participating in the home composting evaluation project. • The City’s master composters will be invited to take part in the home composting evaluation project, either in a personal capacity or as an advisor to residents. Waste collection contractors will be consulted to evaluate the time spent and fuel consumption based on the rate of resident participation. (Project description from original funding application)