RECAPRRFB Nova Scotia news and events - Working to improve Nova Scotia’s environment, economyand quality of life by reducing, reusing, recycling and recovering resources.

TH

E

Table of Contents

Economic Impact Analysis Identifies Benefits of Nova Scotia’s Beverage Container Deposit-Refund System pg. 2

Community Sponsorship: Cape Breton Regional Library RopeWorks Community Garden pg. 2

Compaction Trailer Pilot Project Continues pg. 3

Community Sponsorship: Yarmouth YMCA Scotian Glen Camp pg. 3

RRFB Nova Scotia Hosts 2nd Annual Depot Day pg. 3

And the 2013 Mobius Award Goes to… pg. 4

RRFB Nova ScotiaWelcomes Returning Director pg. 6

NS Shreds Instead During Waste Reduction Week pg. 6

Community Sponsorship: Middleton Regional High Fraser’s Cultural Centre Bluenose Academy and Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation pg. 6

ENVIRO-DEPOTTM Contest to Raise Program Awareness pg. 7

2013-2014 Trends Year to Date pg. 7

Big Returns: Recycling makes centsInfographic pg. 8

The staff of RRFB Nova Scotia wish you the very best for the holiday season and a prosperous new year!

Merry Christmas and Season’s Greetings from RRFB Nova Scotia!

Warehouse staff left to right: Dara Spicer, Bazil Loughead (back), Lori Young (front), Brenda Carrigan, Janet Weatherby, Danny Delaney, Dale Shearer, Aaron Tufts. Missing from photo: Jen MacRae, Pam MacDonald

Court Street staff left to right - Seated: Brenda Gordon, Jerome Paris, Kelly Nauss, Ann Fiddes, Carolyn Pierce. Standing: Paul Buffett, Angie Crowe Jeffrey, Jeff White, Stacy Breau, Scott Langille, Joanne Hennigar, Dale Lyon, Wendy Deuville, Alanna McPhee, Jeff MacCallum, Sherry Roberts. Missing from photo: Greg McCarthy, Rob MacIntosh, Sherri Pugsley

Fall-Winter 2013

Economic Impact Analysis Identifi es Benefi ts of Nova Scotia’s Beverage Container Deposit-Refund System

Cape Breton Regional Library, with sponsorship funding from RRFB Nova Scotia, hosted their fi rst ever Trash 2

Treasure Contest. The objective of the contest was to have youth aged 10-18 reuse items that would have been

thrown out or recycled to create a new artistic or

functional item. With 27 entries received, the organizers

felt it was a very successful initiative.

RopeWorks Community Garden is a group of

neighbours working together on a small scale garden plot

in Dartmouth. Over the summer, a homemade compost

bin was added to the site with help from the Community

Sponsorship Fund. A garden party this fall was a chance

to show residents the new compost bin and to offer them

a slice of pie from pumpkin grown in the community plot.

Education Highlights: Community Sponsorship

In the summer of 2013, RRFB Nova Scotia hired Gardner Pinfold to conduct an Economic Impact Analysis of Nova Scotia’s Beverage Container Deposit-Refund System. The environmental benefi ts of the system – including reduced litter and high recycling rates – have been well known, but the economic impacts had never been quantifi ed.

The purpose of the study was to determine the direct and indirect economic impacts of the system. In addition, the study investigated the social impacts of the program by determining the importance of the program to charities and community organizations, as well as people who rely on the program for supplemental income.

The report, released on October 24, demonstrates that the deposit-refund system generates approximately 600 jobs, $20.1 million in salaries and wages, and has an impact of $28.8 million on Nova Scotia’s GDP. The report also found that the deposit-refund system plays a signifi cant role in the fundraising efforts of charitable groups and organizations across the province.

The full report is available on the RRFB Nova Scotia website at www.putwasteinitsplace.ca. To help demonstrate the benefi ts of the beverage container deposit-refund system, RRFB Nova Scotia also prepared the infographic: Big Returns - recycling makes cents for the environment, the economy, and Nova Scotians (see back cover). Screen shots from the Economic Impact Analysis of Nova Scotia’s Beverage

Container Deposit-Refund System report by Gardner Pinfold, 2013.

RopeWorks’ homemade compost bin.

PAGE 2 // Fall-Winter 2013

RRFB Nova Scotia introduced a new compaction trailer for beverage containers in July 2012, and began a two year pilot project to test the technology and address any challenges.

The trailer combines a compaction auger on a 53-foot tractor trailer, and allows RRFB Nova Scotia to compact recyclable beverage containers at Enviro-Depots and then transport direct to the end market processor.

The pilot is running in Halifax Regional Municipality at 18 high-volume Enviro-Depots, and is set to wrap-up at the end of August 2014.

To date, the compaction trailer has successfully tested PET and aluminum, it loads approximately four bags per minute, and takes about 15-30 minutes to load all the product at a depot, start to fi nish. The pilot has been well received by participating depots. As of November 25, the compaction trailer has transported 101 loads direct to market, which would have equaled 602 loads under the existing local cartage system.

The overall objective of the compaction trailer is to reduce costs and improve productivity. Specifi cally:

• Reduce sorts and ENVIRO-DEPOTTM handling• Deliver direct to market, further reducing handling• Save time and costs to the system• Centralize and streamline the system• Greatly reduce greenhouse gas impact.

Compaction Trailer Pilot Project ContinuesTwo bags of beverage containers are placed on the compaction trailer’s lift at a time. Photo courtesy of Fader’s Bottle Exchange, Lr. Sackville

The lift raises the bags of beverage containers above the back end of the compaction trailer. Photo courtesy of Fader’s Bottle Exchange, Lr. Sackville

The lift tips the containers into the compaction trailer and returns the empty bags to the start position. The auger inside compacts the beverage containers and twists them to the front of the trailer. When full, the product is transported to market. Photo courtesy of Fader’s Bottle Exchange, Lr. Sackville

Education Highlights: Community Sponsorship

The Yarmouth YMCA used sponsorship funding from

RRFB Nova Scotia to purchase new sorting containers

for their facility. Two 3-bin waste receptacles were

purchased and have been in use since August. Staff

reports that visitors to the YMCA have been doing a

much better job sorting their waste since the arrival of

the new containers.

Sponsorship funding from RRFB Nova Scotia provided

the opportunity for Scotian Glen Camp in Thorburn

to purchase sorting bins for their beautiful property on

the Sutherland’s River. With children arriving from New

Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia for

a week of fun, the new containers and signage helped

ensure everyone was putting waste in its place.

The second annual Depot Day was a great success. There were 51 attendees, which was slightly lower than last year, but there were new faces in the crowd.

Participants indicated they were very pleased with the presentations: Financial Update; Economic Impact Assessment Results; Compaction Trailer Pilot; Overview of Health & Safety; Accounting Tips & Tricks for Small Business (presented by Grant Thornton LLP); Education & Communications Update; and Best Practices at the Enviro-Depots.

The one-day event provides a great opportunity for ENVIRO-DEPOTTM owner/operators from across the province to network with each other, and learn more about RRFB Nova Scotia programs and initiatives.

Feedback on Depot Day was very positive. Of the 43 evaluations submitted by participants, 56% rated the event as excellent and 44% rated it as good. As for attending a future Depot Day, 93% indicated they would be very likely to attend and 7% indicated they would be somewhat likely to attend.

RRFB Nova Scotia Hosts 2nd Annual Depot Day

PAGE 3 // Fall-Winter 2013

And the 2013 Mobius Award Goes to…

Small Business of the Year: Gabrieau’s Bistro, AntigonishRecycling, reducing, and composting are not only good for the environment, they are also good for business. Gabrieau’s Bistro offers a completely environmentally sustainable service, using organic waste for composting, and then growing fresh herbs and vegetables.Photo: Mark Gabrieau, Owner

Large Business of the Year: Lafarge Brookfi eld Cement PlantLafarge Brookfi eld Cement Plant is an industry leader for their quality cement, but they also boast impressive numbers when it comes to diverting waste from landfi lls. Lafarge Brookfi eld has developed a new product called MaxCem using a by-product of steel manufacturing that otherwise would have been destined for a landfi ll.

Photo: Scarth MacDonnell, Plant Manager

Waste Reduction Education Program: Pictou County Quick Service RestaurantsWhen waste audits found that 69% of customer-generated waste in dining rooms was going into landfi lls, owners and managers of Pictou County’s Quick Service Restaurants banded together and worked with the staff of Pictou County Solid Waste to address the problem. By increasing signage,

removing single stream garbage containers, and having staff sort customer waste, these restaurants increased organics collection by over 46 tonnes from January to September alone.Photo: Michelle Corcoran on behalf of L.S.N.G. (McDonalds)

Institution of the Year: Halifax Stanfi eld International AirportWith 3.6 million passengers passing through the airport each year, and an additional fi ve million visitors, the Halifax Stanfi eld International Airport has a lot of waste to manage. They are one of the few airports in the world to offer airside recycling, and by making waste diversion education a priority, they have increased their diversion rate to 52%.

Photo left to right: Mike Rantala, Manager Environment and Safety, and Gord Duke, Director Operations

Honourable Mention Institution of the Year: The Berkeley Retirement Residences, HalifaxThe Berkeley Retirement Residences clearly demonstrate that any time in life is a good time to start new habits to help the environment. By involving residents and staff in sorting, they’ve been able to cut their garbage by a third. Photo left to right: Catherine Campbell, Director of Communications and

Bob Fraser, Maintenance Supervisor

Innovation in Waste Reduction: LP Consulting and Halifax C&D Recycling Limited, Newport/HalifaxLP Consulting partnered with Halifax C&D Recycling to combine waste wallboard and wood fi bre into an alternative livestock bedding material for the dairy industry. This new product gives farmers an economical, sustainable alternative, and helps divert construction and demolition waste from landfi ll.

Photo left to right: Dan Chassie, Halifax C&D Recycling; Lise LeBlanc, LP Consulting Limited; and Misty Croney, LP Consulting Limited

Annually, RRFB Nova Scotia coordinates the Mobius Awards of Environmental Excellence to recognize the achievements of innovative Nova Scotians who have helped make our province a leader in waste reduction.

This October RRFB Nova Scotia hosted the 15th annual Mobius Awards luncheon

celebration at Pier 21 in Halifax. Every year, the Mobius Awards supports a local charity by asking attendees to make donations in lieu of purchasing tickets. This year, $2,565 was collected and donated to Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore. In addition to building homes for low-income families, the ReStore sells new, gently used and customer-returned

building products that would have otherwise ended up in landfi lls.

Congratulations to the following 2013 provincial Mobius Award winners!

PAGE 4 // Fall-Winter 2013

Mobius Awards Continued from page 4

Honourable Mention Innovation in Waste Reduction: Johnston’s Trucking and Depackaging, TruroWaste dairy products can be a feed source for farms and incorporated into compost piles, but they have to be handled properly. By developing a service to address this waste, in just one year Johnston’s Trucking & Depackaging has kept over 125,000 litres of dairy waste product out of landfi lls.

Photo: George Johnston, Johnston Trucking & Depackaging

Individual Excellence in Waste Reduction: Tracy Frazier, BridgetownWith the provincial goal to reduce individual waste to 300 kg per year by 2015, the work of every person really does make a difference. Tracy Frazier is a leading example. In her community she gets everyone involved through speaking engagements and initiating a high school essay contest, she participates in community clean-ups, and at work she

strives to source products that use less packaging.Photo: Tracy Frazier

School of the Year: East Richmond Education Centre, St. Peter’s

East Richmond Education Centre is a prime example of the forceful environmental change a school can make. In 2011, all the cafeteria’s organic waste went into the garbage, and now they collect on average 68 kilograms of organics

a week. With support and cooperation of staff and students, they increased their recycling collection, reduced the amount of garbage they produce, initiated Green Teams, and with a prize from the Nova Scotia Recycles Contest, they were able to start a garden at their school.Photo left to right: Steven MacNeil, Councillor of Richmond County; Amy McCormack, Green Team Teacher Leader; Tanya Carter, Principal; Meika Mombourquette, Student; Braden Parker, Student; Sheldon Groom, Building Operator

ENVIRO-DEPOT™ of the Year: King Street Recycling Depot, ShelburneKing Street Recycling is regularly commended for their cleanliness and willingness to support the community. To celebrate their one-year anniversary, they held a customer appreciation day, and throughout the year they accept donations for a variety of local charities, including a charity of the month.Photo: Rob Harlow and Jane Ringer

Best Community-Based Project: Scotsburn Pork Chop BBQEvery year, the popular Scotsburn Pork Chop BBQ raises funds for the volunteer fi re department. This year they served over 1,900 meals and produced only three bags of garbage. They repainted old signs, provided sorting instructions, and reused ice cream pails to serve food. They also composted during preparation, replaced plastic bottles with compostable

cups, and collected refundables.Photo: Allan Fraser, Fire Chief, Scotsburn Fire Department

Region of the Year: Waste Check, Digby/YarmouthWith thorough education programs, community recognition programs, and hard work, Waste Check has not only had the lowest disposal rate in all of Nova Scotia for four years running, but this year they achieved the provincial disposal rate of 300 kilograms per person per year, and that is two years ahead of schedule! Congratulations to Waste Check and the residents of Yarmouth and Digby counties.

Left to right: Sharon LeBlanc, Education Coordinator; Jimmy MacAlpine, Vice Chair Waste Check and Deputy Warden, Municipality of Digby; Linda Gregory, Warden, Municipality of Digby and Waste Check board member; Gus Green, General Manager; Amy Hillyard, Waste Reduction Coordinator; Jean Brittain, Councillor, Town of Digby and Waste Check board member; Tracy Raymond, Business Educator; Nicole Hazlett, Program Assistant/Hotline; Lyndsay Price, Waste Compliance Inspector

PAGE 5 // Fall-Winter 2013

RRFB Nova Scotia, in partnership with the seven solid waste management regions, celebrated Waste Reduction Week with a series of paper shredding events across the province. The goal of the Shred Instead initiative was to create awareness about recycling confi dential documents. Residents were invited to bring their personal papers to a central location to have them shredded for free.

Events were held in the following communities:• Oct 19: Valley Waste Transfer Station,

Kentville• Oct 19: Antigonish Mall• Oct 21: LeBrun Centre, Bedford• Oct 22: Digby Transfer Station• Oct 22: Yarmouth Life Skills• Oct 23: Pictou County Wellness Centre• Oct 24: Truro Mall• Oct 25: Windsor Exhibition Grounds• Oct 25: Municipal Building, Port Hood

RRFB Nova Scotia customized a newspaper ad for each event and provided an advertising budget of $1,500 for each region. In addition,

NS Shreds Instead During Waste Reduction Week

Education Highlights: Community Sponsorship

In October, the Career Access class from Middleton Regional High travelled to the Valley Waste-Resource Management Facility and Northridge Farms Composting Facility. The teacher felt this was an excellent opportunity for students to observe the operations at both facilities and learn more about waste management in the process. RRFB Nova Scotia’s community sponsorship funding covered the transportation costs for the fi eld trip.

Fraser’s Cultural Centre is a gathering point on the North Shore known to host art openings and fundraisers. With help from RRFB

Nova Scotia’s sponsorship fund, they were able to purchase a three stream bin made by a local workshop, Sunset Industries. With their new bin in place, the supporters of the Fraser Cultural Centre take great pride in providing an opportunity for visitors to separate their waste properly.

Students from Bluenose Academy got involved in vermicomposting this fall thanks to funding from RRFB Nova Scotia’s Community Sponsorship Program. Staff from Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation used the funding to purchase worms and worm bins, and carry out workshops with Grade 5 students at the Academy. The students and teachers loved the hands-on approach and are anxiously awaiting the spring when they will harvest their worm castings for use as compost.

RRFB Nova Scotia Welcomes Returning Director

Claire Detheridge Claire Detheridge is a municipal councillor with the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. First elected in 1982, she has served two terms as Deputy Mayor. Claire has also served numerous intermittent years as Chair of the Public Services Committee and is passionate about the role municipalities have in making Nova Scotia a great place to live and work. As a member of the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities (UNSM), Claire was fi rst appointed to be its representative on the Regional Chairs Committee and on RRFB Nova Scotia’s Board in 2010, and was reappointed in September 2013. Welcome back, Claire!

RRFB Nova Scotia ran ads on several radio stations and advertised all events on our social media networks. The events held in busy locations were very successful, while those held at waste facilities tended to have fewer participants.

Vermicomposting

PAGE 6 // Fall-Winter 2013

2013-2014 Trends Year to Date(Sept. 30, 2013)

Beverage Container Deposit-Refund Program• Remittances down -4.7% compared to

prior year• Revenue down -3.1% compared to prior

year• Redemption rate up, 82.5% versus 76.9%

prior year

Used Tire Management Program• Remittances in passenger tire equivalents

up 6.8%• Tire revenue down -9.2% compared to

prior year (affected by unearned revenue calculation)

• Return rate down to 91% versus 100% prior year

colouring & design contests • video challenge • essay competition

Open to students Primary to 12 • Deadline: February 7, 2014Visit PutWasteInItsPlace.ca for more information

About RRFB Nova Scotia

RRFB Nova Scotia (Resource Recovery Fund Board Inc.) is a not-for-profit corporation working in partnership with Nova Scotians to improve the province’s environment, economy and quality of life by reducing, reusing, recycling and recovering resources. RRFB Nova Scotia manages a network of independently owned Enviro-Depots in over 80 locations throughout the province, and works in partnership with Nova Scotia Environment, the 54 municipalities across the province, industry and academia. Recognized globally as an innovator in waste diversion solutions and a leader in Nova Scotia’s waste diversion efforts, RRFB Nova Scotia delivers education and awareness programs, partners with municipalities and industry to develop and implement stewardship agreements, and promotes innovation through the development of value-added manufacturing.

Questions or comments about this publication, please contact RRFB Nova Scotia at 902-897-3253.

For more information:Visit www.PutWasteInItsPlace.caLike us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/PutWasteInItsPlaceFollow us on Twitter at @RRFBNovaScotia

RRFB Nova Scotia held its 2013 ENVIRO-DEPOTTM Contest in November. The goal of this annual initiative is to raise awareness of the deposit-refund program and attract more customers to Enviro-Depots during the contest. A Facebook advertising campaign invited customers to visit their local ENVIRO-DEPOTTM to enter their name on a ballot for a chance to win great prizes.

And what are those great prizes? Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa donated the grand prize of a weekend getaway for four and RRFB Nova Scotia provided $500 spending

ENVIRO-DEPOTTM Contest to Raise Program Awareness

money – a combined value of $1,200. RRFB Nova Scotia also provided seven iPad minis, one to be given away in each of the seven solid waste management regions, and every ENVIRO-DEPOT™ received a cooler bag of promotional items for one lucky customer. The draw for the regional and grand prizes takes place December 18.

PAGE 7 // Fall-Winter 2013

PAGE 8 // Fall-Winter 2013