Smart Waste Collection Pilot Project in Robert-Cliche RCM

Aligned with the Robert-Cliche Regional County Municipality (RCM) waste management plan and regional and local objectives, the project aims to optimize overall waste management in the RCM to reduce landfill, raise the waste diversion rate to over 60%, encourage everyone to participate in all recycling services, optimize waste collection and processing costs, achieve the objectives in Quebec’s waste management policy (2011-2015), expand the practice of composting by charging “pay-as-you-throw” rates, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Beauceville, in partnership with two other towns in the same RCM, Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce and Saint-Victor, is conducting this smart collection and household composting pilot project to enhance regional waste management efficiency and effectiveness. The pilot project will provide an opportunity to determine which waste management scenario is most appropriate, consult residents, obtain information on waste composition, assess “smart collection” tools (Radio Frequency Identification, RFID) and sustainably change citizens’ behaviour. The pilot project will last one year. A total of 100 residents per municipality, 300 families in the residential area, will receive a smart bin equipped with an identification transponder and, if they wish, a home composter. The participants will be interviewed individually to ask them to put their garbage bin at the curb only when it is full, recycle their organic materials, and use all the other recycling services, as well as to educate them about the economic benefits of smart collection. To simulate charging an incentive rate, the pilot project’s financial incentive will take the form of a contest in which the winners will receive cash if they achieve the objective of reducing their bin presentation rate. The garbage collection truck will be equipped with a RFID system that will track collection of each bin to facilitate processing of residents’ bills, as needed. The pilot project’s performance will be assessed according to the garbage bin curbside presentation and collection rate, the bin size chosen, and the ultimate amount of waste and recoverable materials in the garbage bin. The results will be used to determine whether a “pay-as-you-throw” system should be introduced in the RCM, and what parameters to use. Open house events will be organized for all residents to teach them good practices and consult them about organic waste management options. In addition to the pilot project performance, a behavioural change is expected among the entire population even before the large-scale incentive rates are introduced, owing to the attention attracted by the project. (Project description from original funding application)