Put your

blue cart or community depot.looserecyclables in your

calgary.ca/recycle | call 3-1-1

Recyclinghas never

been easier.

2011-2098

Don’t bag or bundle your

recyclables. Shredded paper

and plastic bags are the only

items that should be bundled,

and then, only in clear plastic

bags so recycling facility

operators can easily identify

and sort the contents.

Alberta’s measures to recover more materials than ever

from our waste stream

WAste As A

resourCe

out with the oldNew gadget? don’t just toss your old one

demolition debrisFinding new life for c&d waste

AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to tHe cAlgAry HerAld

ReCYCLInG & wAsTe MAnAGeMenT

LOREM IPSUM DOLOR CONSECTETUER ADIPS ET

CING ELIT SE

TO REDUCE YOUR WASTE THIS

HOLIDAY SEASON

LOREM IPSUM

3TIPS

Unlike some provincesthere are no regulations for businessesto recycle in Alberta,

so we rely on voluntary programs.”

December 2011

title

Sarah MacDonaldProgram Manager, Green Calgary

AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to cAlgAry HerAld2 · december 2011

Blue box, green box, grey box—more than ever, Albertan consumers are reminded to recycle. But it takes change on all levels to make a di� erence, including manufacturing.

”i think when there’s something that’s ho-memade or uses very thoughtful wrapping, i think that kind of represents the person you’re giving it to as well as commu-nicating who you are.”

Out with the old p. 9How you can counter e-waste.

Demolition debris p. 11Finding new life for c&d waste.

Recycle your Christmas tree

Calgarians recycled 36,000 Christmas trees last year.

That’s a 20 per cent increase in the Christmas tree recycling program since the introduction of residen-tial pick up just two years ago.

 This year, you have the option to recycle your real Christmas tree

using one of the two services be-low. When preparing your tree, re-member the following:

■ Remove all ornaments, tinsel and the tree stand.

■ Do not bag or wrap your tree (including recycling tree bags).

Pick up The City will once again pick up Christmas trees from households with City residential garbage col-lection.

What to do: Place your tree on the ground near your black cart collection spot by 7 a.m. on Monday Jan. 9, 2012. It will be picked up within two weeks.

While the city of Calgary continues to make headway on diverting was-te from landfi lls, many residents are still unaware of what can be recycled and what all the options are.

In 2009, Calgary became Canada’s last major city to launch a blue cart recycling program, which today ser-ves more than 295,000 single-family homes and four-plexes.

While the program has been suc-cessful—a 75 percent increase to 70,000 tonnes of recyclables over the last two years—the city still is still trying to educate residents on what is acceptable in the blue carts and in community recycling depots.

“We continue to emphasize recy-cling the right materials,” says Pau-la Magdich, program development leader for Calgary’s Waste & Recy-

cling Services. “All the materials go through a sophisticated sorting pro-cess, but the wrong items can inter-fere with the sorting line.”

The general rule of [green] thumb are household items—paper, card-board, plastic containers, alumini-um cans and foil, anything genera-ted from the home.

One of the biggest misconceptions is styrofoam. Although it is made out of plastic, the city of Calgary does not recycle it.

However, for residents looking to go an extra mile (or a 30-minu-te drive), the city of Cochrane has a machine able handle the unique plastic at their recycling facility.

Deposit dilemma Another pillar in Calgary’s recycling system are the bottle depots, mana-ged by the Alberta Beverage Contai-ner Recycling Corporation, which is also celebrating its 40th anniversary next year.

While the program is seeing more than an 83 percent return rate on all beverage containers, the ABCRC fa-ces two distinct challenges: bevera-ges consumed outside of the home, and containers that aren’t recycled

as frequently, like juice boxes and milk and cream cartons.

Guy West, president of the ABCRC, chalks up these issues as a matter of convenience.

“If people are outdoors or driving, there’s a lack of infrastructure for people to readily recycle beverage containers,” says West. “So, unfortu-nately, most people are just going to put it in the garbage can.”

To help bring it back to the de-pots, the ABCRC is adding more re-cycling bins across the province and in schools, as well as a having a hea-

vy presence during the 2012 Alberta Winter Games.

Banishing bulky items When it comes to electronics, paints or tires, look to the Alberta Recycling Management Authority, a non-profi t association tasked by the province to handle those materials.

Alberta was the fi rst province in Canada to launch an electronic recy-cling program, and since it’s launch in 2004, has recycled more than 2.8 million electronics.

“Albertans have responded stron-gly, but we’re still only getting about 50 percent of what we’d like to see,” says Doug Wright, CEO of Alberta Re-cycling. “There are still a lot of pe-ople who don’t understand how the program works.”

“It just takes a little more eff ort to drop it off ,” adds Wright, referring to the 37 collection sites throughout Calgary alone.

Redefi ning Calgary’s third “R”

ADAM TRInh

editorial@mediaplanet.com

CHALLenGes

THIS SEASON, CHALLENGE YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS

TO MAKE HOMEMADE

GIFTS

1TIP

WE RECOMMENDGreen your giftscrafty methods to help you cut down on your holiday was-te output.

pAge 4

WAste mANAgemeNt2Nd editioN, december 2011

Responsible for this issue:Publisher: Ash MacLeodash.macleod@mediaplanet.comDesigner: Penelope Grahampenelope.graham@mediaplanet.comContributors: Ken Donahue, Andrew Seale, Christina Seidel, Adam Trinh

Managing Director: Joshua Nageljoshua.nagel@mediaplanet.comBusiness Developer: Mark Rybchukmark.rybchuk@mediaplanet.com

Photo Credit: All images are from iStock.com unless otherwise accredited.

Distributed within:Calgary Herald, December 2011This section was created by Mediaplanetand did not involve Calgary Herald orits Editorial Departments.

mediaplanet’s business is to create new customers for our advertisers by providing readers with high quality editorial contentthat motivates them to act.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER!www.facebook.com/MediaplanetCAwww.twitter.com/MediaplanetCA

RECYCLING OPTIONS

Guy WestPresident, ABCRC

Paula MagdichProgram Development Leader, Waste & Recycling Services, City of Calgary

Beyond the blue box: the real effects of recycling

we all k n o w ab out t h e t h r e e “ R’s ”: Redu-

ce, Reuse, Recycle. But, is any re-al diff erence acheived by putting recyclables in the blue cart, or carrying materials down to the local recycling depot? You mig-ht be surprised to fi nd out the answer is a resounding “yes”!

The reason is really about re-source conservation. Making something from raw materials is very energy intensive. Think about all the equipment and en-ergy it takes to extract minerals from the ground, or harvest wood and pulp from the forest. Then these raw materials have to be processed in such a way as to cre-ate the actual material we want to make something from (think bauxite to aluminum). This al-so takes a lot of energy, since the form of the material often needs to be altered considerably. Final-ly, you have something that you can actually manufacture into that item you will buy from the store shelf.

No need to sweatNow, compare this process to re-cycling. The material in the pro-duct is already in the form you

require (or close to it), so a lot less energy is required to turn it back into a new product. And, what is very interesting—and surpri-sing—to many people, is any ex-tra energy that is invested into collecting and transporting the recyclable material to be rema-nufactured is a small fraction of the energy required to access new raw materials.

Making a real differenceWhat this means is that recy-cling provides very signifi cant environmental benefi ts, inclu-ding a reduction in greenhou-se gas emissions, when compa-red to making products from raw materials. And this fact has been substantiated numerous times by agencies including Environ-ment Canada and the U.S. Envi-ronmental Protection Agency. Recycling not only off ers envi-ronmental benefi ts, but creates jobs as well.

So, if recycling is so good for the environment and creates jobs, why are we still sending so much waste to alternate disposal options such as landfi lls? Well, the answer is related to the ina-bility of our economic system to consider factors like environme-ntal protection from which we all benefi t. Because there is no economic value placed on the en-vironment, options like landfi ll

are still the cheapest method to manage our waste. As a result, municipalities are literally left holding the bag, and recyc-ling programs need to be supported th-rough tax dollars.

Corporations are stepping upAt the same time, manufacturers ha-ve no incentive to make their pro-ducts easier to recycle. But, this is changing across the world as a new approach to product waste manage-ment takes hold. It is called Exten-ded Producer Responsibility (EPR), or Product Stewardship, and requires manufacturers to retain responsibi-lity for the management of their pro-ducts and packaging after they are sold. This ultimately means that the cost of recycling that material will be integrated into the price of the pro-duct, thereby sending the right price signal to both the consumer to make better purchasing decisions, as well as to the manufacturer to improve the environmental design of the pro-duct in the first place.

Setting the standardAlberta is home to the first genera-tion of some of these programs (ste-wardship programs for beverage containers, tires, used oil, electro-nics and paint), and national agre-ements have established targets for introducing EPR programs for an ex-panded range of products, including packaging, fluorescent lamps and construction/ demolition materials.

Christina Seidelexecutive director, rcA

“extra energy that is invested into collecting and transporting recyclable material to be remanufactured is a small fraction of the energy required to access new raw materials.”

DON’T MISS!

AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to cAlgAry HerAld

CHALLenGes

CHALLENGE YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS

TO MAKE HOMEMADE

GIFTS

THIS SEASON, CHALLENGE

1TIP

courtesy of city of calgary

AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to cAlgAry HerAld december 2011 · 3

CHALLenGes InsPIRATIOn

Global leading publisher of industry focused reports distributed through mass media

UPCOMING TITLES IN 2012

FACEBOOK.COM/MEDIAPLANETCATWITTER.COM/MEDIAPLANETCA

Advertise with us!Interested in participating in an upcoming section? Please contact Joshua Nagel, Managing Director of Mediaplanet Vancouver.Phone: 604 716 2554Email: joshua.nagel@mediaplanet.com

FUTURE OF MINING JANUARY 23, 2012 THE VANCOUVER SUN

SUSTAINABILITY FEBRUARY 6, 2012 THE VANCOUVER SUN

LIFE SCIENCES FEBRUARY 11, 2012 THE CALGARY HERALD

B.C./ALBERTA FORESTRY FEBRUARY 20, 2012 THE NATIONAL POST

WOMEN’S HEALTH MARCH 5, 2012 THE VANCOUVER SUN

AGRICULTURE MARCH 17, 2012 THE CALGARY HERALD

NATURAL RESOURCES MARCH 22, 2012 THE CALGARY HERALD

BUSINESS TRAVEL MARCH 31, 2012 THE CALGARY HERALD

NATURAL RESOURCES MARCH 22, 2012 THE CALGARY HERALD

TWITTER.COM/MEDIAPLANETCAInterested in participating in an upcoming section? Please contact

BUSINESS TRAVEL MARCH 31, 2012 THE CALGARY HERALDBUSINESS TRAVEL MARCH 31, 2012 THE CALGARY HERALD

At two years old, Calgary’s municipal re-cycling program is the youngest in the

country. New goals are in place to make it as successful as possible.PHOTO: CITY OF CALGARY

A SHIFT IN NATURE

Forging ahead

AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to cAlgAry HerAld4 · december 2011

InsPIRATIOnThe holiday season has long been a yearly bombardment on landfi lls. It’s ideal for gift givers to reduce their packaging waste with some customizable and creative ideas.

I’m dreaming of a green ChristmasAs the holidays creep in, con-sumers bustle through pack-ed shopping malls vying for parking spots and touting the joy of giving.

But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if you could fi nd a way to inject a little sustainability into your holiday traditions through recycling and reusing household items?

Lynn MacCallum, a pro-gram assistant for Green Calgary’s Healthy Ho-mes, says

her s e n -

t i m e n t s were just that

when the organization held a series of sold out workshops aimed at fi n-ding more sustainable ways to cele-brate the season.

“I think when there’s something that’s homemade or uses very thoughtful wrapping—I think that kind of represents the person you’re giving it to as well as communi-cating who you are,” says MacCal-lum. “With something handmade, there’s just so much more time and ef- fort and care that w e n t into it versus

just going to the store and picking so-

mething up.”It’s no secret the ho-liday season genera-

tes large volumes of waste—from

wrapping pa-per and

cards, to u n u s e d

gifts—but finding a way to di-

vert po-tential waste

and recycle old elements can help

add that extra touch of

care to your presents.“I think there’s a lot of pressure for

people now to be giving Christmas cards to all their coworkers and eve-ryone needs a gift,” says MacCallum. “When did this become the way that we say thank you and I love you—by buying crap?”

That’s a wrapOne of the group’s workshops fo-cused on fi nding ways to make your own wrapping paper and cards via recycling household waste by “using old sheet music, newspaper, burlap sacks and items you can fi nd around the home as well,” says Mac-Callum.

Another alternative that the gro-up looked at was Japanese furoshiki wraps—any scrap fabric, repurposed scarves, cloth napkins or tea towels to wrap presents.

A blog written about sustaina-ble gift giving by Green Calgary also points to mason jars, maps and old phonebook pages as creative ways to recycle old products for gifts.

Jill Thompson, a grad student and participant in the workshop, says celebrating the holidays in a more sustainable way helped her rethink shopping for presents, something that tends to hit the bank pretty

hard this time of year.“It’s easy to go to the mall and

spend lots of money; it takes a bit more thought to organize a more sustainable holiday,” says Thomp-son. “I think it’s all about the baby steps and trying one new thing at a time... Maybe this year you buy gifts that make a donation to an organi-zation in someone else’s name? Or cook with as many local ingredients as possible? The holiday season should be about family and slo-wing down.”

Aimee Trudel, a nutritionist and participant in the workshop, agrees.

“This is a time where most pe-ople refl ect on their year and plan on improving their lives in 2012,” says Trudel. “So why shouldn’t we start during the holidays and practice sustainable living before the clock strikes 12?”

HOW WE MADE IT

AnDReW SeALe

editorial@mediaplanet.com

A NEW PURPOSEPotato stamps and recy-cled paper are just some ideas to cut down on holi-day waste.PHOTO: GREEN CALGARY

OLD CARDS CAN BE REUSED AS GIFT TAGS AND DECORATIONS

2TIP

DriVing ALbertA’s eConoMy

AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to tHe cAlgAry HerAld

T’is the season for packaging

AnDReW SeALe

editorial@mediaplanet.com

As the holiday season rolls around, a higher vo-lume of products are purchased, meticulous-ly wrapped and given as gifts in the spirit of tradi-tion.

But with the holiday season co-mes an increased amount of was-te from packaging.

“There’s no question there’s an over abundance this time of year because you’re dealing with all of those packages under your tree,” says James Downham, pre-sident and CEO of PAC, the voice of the packaging industry. “After you’re done unwrapping them, (the packages) have to go so-mewhereand in order to be effec-tively recovered and ultimately dealt with it has to be disposed of

properly.”

Beyond the boxAt first glance, the concept of sustainable packaging could be limited to the packaging itself, but Downham argues that it’s a broader look at objectives and strategies that address the en-vironmental concerns related to the entire life cycle of packaging.

“We’re trying to get that pack-age into a stream so it will be re-covered effectively and economi-cally and then can be turned back into something of value,” says Downham.

Products require packaging—be it to protect foods from aller-gens and bacteria, extend the shelf life of a product or commu-nicate information to consume-rs—but the key to a more sustai-

nable consumption-based socie-ty lies in constantly improving the way we minimize waste.

“From a sustainable packa-ging perspective, they’re trying to make packaging first and fore-most from renewable products,” he says.

He points to larger companies

that produce and sell large volu-mes of products as leaders in the push for more sustainable pack-aging.

“Big organizations that typi-cally lead with corporate social responsibility are following suit with sustainable packaging.

“They’re quite ambitious and

at the end of the day they’re clearly driving the global initia-tive.”

One facet of sustainable pack-aging is the “package to product ratio.”

Everyday differencesDesigning packaging that uses less resources but still serves its purpose is vital to reducing a companies carbon foot print, but Downham says when it co-mes down to it, the relations-hip between the industry and the consumer is symbiotic—the products need to be disposed of properly.

James DownhamPresident & CEO, PAC

“there’s no ques-tion there’s an overabundance this time of year because you’re dealing with all of those packagesunder your tree.”

Over 70% of donated computers, laptops& electronics were REUSED in 2011.

ERA reuses and donates your electronics to helplocal charities BEFORE they are sent for recycling.

Your donations could still be usable!Donate before you recycle. (donate@era.ca)

Corporate Pick Up ServicesCertified Data Removal • Recycling Services

DONATEDONATEDONATEyour computers and

laptops to ERA.CA

AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to cAlgAry HerAld december 2011 · 9

New computers, tablets and televisions are sure to top many a Christmas wish list this year.

But those gifts create thousands of unwanted electronic devi-ces every year, and getting rid of them in a responsible way is im-portant.

Alberta was the first province in Canada to implement an elec-tronics recycling program. Sin-ce 2004, four million computers and televisions in Alberta ha-ve been recycled. This has led to

more than 77,000 tonnes of glass, metal, and plastic that has been remanufactured into other pro-ducts, such as plumbing plastic, aluminum and steel, and special-ty concrete products.

“Albertans are to be congratu-lated for outdoing every other province in the amount of elec-tronics they recycle,” says Betty Gray of Alberta Recycling. “Muni-cipalities play a key role in ma-king it easier to do this by having set up more than 300 collection sites for waste electronics.” And by using an approved collection

site, you can ensure that old elec-tronics aren’t recycled in deve-loping countries, where unsafe practices pose serious harm.

Challenges completing the cycleBut while awareness of recyc-ling electronics is growing, the-re is still a gap between the num-bers of items purchased versus the amount recycled. “We are not getting all the old TVs and com-puters which may still be stored in basements and garages,” says Gray. This has not deterred Al-

bertans from wanting to recycle more—old microwave, stereos and broken DVD players are some of the items they want included in the recycling program.

The corporate community too understands the importance of disposing obsolete equipment in a responsible way. One of those is the Yellow Pages Group, which has offices throughout Canada, including in Calgary. “We want to show strong leadership when it comes to electronic waste, and for years have had a policy to reu-se or dispose our computers or

other electronics responsibly,” says Jean-Philippe Boutin, ma-nager of environment and recy-cling for the Yellow Pages Gro-up. “Our goal is to try and reuse equipment internally, but if it becomes obsolete to us, we call upon local environmental recy-cling associations to find chari-ties and other organizations that could use the equipment, or if it has reached its end of life, ensure it is recycled responsibly.”

news

Ken Donohue

editorial@mediaplanet.com

Bouncing back from bankruptcy

Are you the right person for the job?

Keep up the good work Alberta!

Since Alberta’s electronics recycling program

began, you’ve recycled over 4 million computers

and TVs. And we know, that as the season of giving,

opening and enjoying nears, you’ll continue to do

the right things and regift, reuse or recycle your

old electronics. Just another way to make sure

you stay off the naughty list again next year.

For more information on Alberta’s recycling programs, visit albertarecycling.ca.

www.albertarecycling.ca

Recycling your e-waste

AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to cAlgAry HerAld10 · december 2011

InsPIRATIOn

| BUILDINGS | CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE | HEAVY INDUSTRIAL |

The Roderick Mah Centre for Continuous Learning Mount Royal University

Centennial PlaceChinook Centre Expansion

Cardel Place

Delivering sustainable construction excellence.At PCL, we aspire to be the most respected builder by delivering

superior service and unsurpassed value to our customers.

1. Organic recycling is an important part of waste stream reduction.2-3. Beverage contain-ers are one of the most disposed-of and recycled products, but the return rate can still be improved.PHOTOS: 1: CITY OF CALGARY, 2;3:

ABCRC

1 2

3

AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to cAlgAry HerAld december 2011 · 11

Four years ago, the City of Calgary announced an am-bitious goal—“80/20 by 2020”—that would see 80 percent of waste diverted from the city’s landfills.

No easy goal, considering that to-day more than three-quarters of waste still ends up there, and ac-cording to a recent federal govern-ment report, Alberta lags behind every province and territory in di-verting non-residential waste.

One of the biggest culprits, and contributing almost half of all was-te in the landfi ll, is ICI (industri-al, commercial, and institutional) waste. This largely comes from the accommodation and food services, shopping centres and healthcare facilities. “Addressing the ICI sec-tor is absolutely necessary if the city wants to meet its 80/20 goal,” says Sarah MacDonald, manager of programs with Green Calgary, a non-profi t environmental orga-nization that for the past 30 years has promoted healthy homes and businesses. “Unlike some provinc-es there are no regulations for bu-sinesses to recycle in Alberta, so we rely on voluntary programs.” Mac-Donald adds that some companies are good about recycling, and come to Green Calgary seeking help, but others are not.

Tipping the economic scaleThe City of Calgary has tried to in-fl uence waste diversion largely th-rough education and increasing landfi ll tipping rates to make recy-cling more economical. “Much of the waste from the ICI sector are organics—food, yard waste, paper and cardboard—and there are di-version opportunities, but we need to better understand some of the barriers to recycling,” says Jennifer Koole, a senior business strategist with the City of Calgary.

Salvaging compostOrganic waste is primarily made up of unmarketable fruits and ve-getables and yard waste, which when sent to the landfi ll emits ga-ses as it breaks down. More useful is for edible, but unsellable, produ-ce to be sent to community organi-zations that feed the poor, and for other organic materials to be com-posted or taken to recycling proces-sors.

Initial stakeholder engagement undertaken by the City revealed so-me capacity issues, as there are li-mited local facilities for processing and composting, along with a lack of storage space, which have con-tributed to the low rates of non-re-sidential recycling. A more compre-hensive stakeholder engagement is planned for 2012.

Testing the watersWhile Ontario has enacted regula-tions for commercial waste diver-sion, and Vancouver has instated landfi ll bans for certain recycla-bles, the City of Calgary isn’t prepa-red yet to implement similar me-asures. “We want to have an open mind, so we aren’t ruling out any strategy, but we need to see what is best for the city,” says Koole. “On the whole, people are supportive of recycling and waste diversion, and the city has increased landfi ll tip-ping rates to make diversion eco-nomically more favourable, but we want to better understand some of the barriers that exist, so we can best support business.”

In recent years, record num-bers of building permits have been issued in Alberta.

But there is an environmental cost to this growth, as construction & de-molition (C&D) waste accounts for 25 percent of all waste that ends up in the province’s landfi lls. And whi-le recycling markets are available to divert much of this waste, it’s esti-mated that just a little more than 10 percent is recycled.

“Recycling of C&D waste has slo-wed, because the infrastructure isn’t in place throughout the province,” says Jim Rivait, CEO of Canadian Homebuilder’s Association in Alber-ta. “It’s easier when there is a critical mass—like Edmonton and Calgary—though there has been some pro-gress in addressing this.”

Beyond the boxKen Gibson, executive director of the Alberta Construction Association, agrees and concedes that diverting

waste from construction projects is more complex than people think. “Not only is recycling infrastructure very limited, even in Calgary and Ed-monton, and less so in smaller com-munities,” he says. “Contractors are often in a diffi cult position, becau-se they respond to what the owners and builders want, and there is often little money in budgets for waste di-version programs,”

Despite these challenges, there is a high level of diversion for concrete, asphalt and brick, which is recycled back into roads and foundations for new buildings. Metal, both copper and sheet metal, are valuable com-modities that are currently being re-processed. Wood, cardboard and pa-per are also recycled, but the econo-mics of recycling needs to be more favourable than the landfi ll.

The consumer connectionThe public sector is starting to show a lot of leadership, as many govern-ment buildings, including those

built by the City of Calgary, are requi-ring sustainable practices be used in the construction, including waste diversion programs. In some cases, sites are seeing diversion rates up to 90 percent, proving that it can be done. He adds that the evidence sug-gests that recycling doesn’t cost that much more.

Gibson says that some contrac-tors have learned to recycle waste very well and are starting to build

that into their bids at minimal cost to owners. But he admits that the-re is a conundrum, as companies don’t want to invest in recycling in-frastructure unless they have evi-dence of a steady stream.

Both industry and government ha-ve been supportive partners in deve-loping a waste diversion strategy. In principle we can achieve high levels of diversion. We’re working toward it, but we’re not there yet,” says Gib-son. “I’m very optimistic that we’re moving in the right direction given new recycling infrastructure that is being created. It will take some time, but it will become the norm when waste diversion costs are built into construction budgets. Builders sol-ve problems, and this is just another problem.”

DON’T MISS!

news

Name Surnameduis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendre-rit in vulputate velit esse molestie conse-quat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla .

Ken Donohue

editorial@mediaplanet.com

“Not only is recycling infrastructure very limited, even in calgary and edmonton, it’s less so in smaller communities.”

Calgary strives to hit lofty waste goals

An increasing trend towards green building and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certi-fication is helping construc-tion companies find econo-

mic value in recycling.

“Five years ago it was cheaper to land-fi ll it then to recyclable, so you can guess where the majority of material went,” says Dan Zembal, president and owner of Alberta Waste and Recycling. “In Calgary now it is as economical or

more economical to recycle it.”He points out that recycling costs clo-se to $65 per tonne versus the $90 to $135 per tonne fee of taking it to a land-fi ll.

“There is an economic benefi t to re-cycling,” says Zembal.

Owen Nordmark, senior construc-tion manager at PCL Construction Management, credits a drive by the construction industry to employ LEED building techniques and re-duce greenhouse gases, as helping to make recycling more economi-cal.

“The LEED requirements are pro-bably one of the main drivers be-hind it,” says Nordmark adding that although recycling doesn’t cause an immediate gain “as more and more people are recycling, more recycla-ble material is available, so the pri-ce (of recycled materials) keeps co-ming down as well.”

PCL itself has made its mandate in Calgary to recycle a target of 75 percent of their construction and demolition waste.

At the moment, the price of scrap metal makes it the most economic to recycle.

“Metals have been going up to levels where you almost have to guard the bin now,” says Nordmark. “I wouldn’t say that the driver behind (recycling metals) is the price but it does make it more attractive to those who weren’t doing it at all.”

Most other components—clean wood, insulation, carpet, shingles, dry-wall and cardboard—can be recycled but the immediate economic gains are lower.

The organizations that are doing it are fi nding end users that will pay for that product so that allows them to enter into the business,” says Nord-mark. “It’s a huge step forward than it was 10 years ago when it was basically a cost to recycle.”

But Nordmark points out its bigger then the economic gains.

“If we take steps then our competi-tors follow and in some cases impro-ve upon those processes, it just me-ans that we’re a better industry as a result.”

AnDReW SeALe

editorial@mediaplanet.com

GREEN TRENDS

Finding the value in construction recycling

Ken Donohue

editorial@mediaplanet.com

soLVing the CoMpLeX issue of ConstruCtion WAste DiVersion

WASTE NOT-A great deal of materials from demolition sites can actually be recovered.PHOTO: RECYCLING COUNCIL OF ALBERTA

InsPIRATIOn

AVOID DISPOSABLE

DISHES WHEN ENTERTAINING

AVOID

3TIP

10¢ REFUND

25¢REFUND

Make sure you’re on the nice listby returning your empties.

This season do your part and return your empties to the bottle depot for a refund. It’s a nice way to do something for the environment and get a little jingle back in your pocket.

Client: ABCRC Docket: ABC-1781 File Description: P. 12 FULL: 10.3 X 22.2 IN

Date: DEC.13, 2011 Size: 10.3” x 22.2” Colour: CMYK

Publication: Calgary Herald

This fi le was prepared by T 403.539.2000 F 403.264.2705

Visit albertadepot.ca to fi nd a depot near you.