RECYC-QUÉBEC's Sector Report As Part of the BAPE's Mandate on Site
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
February 19 2021 . RECYC-QUÉBEC’s Sector Report as Part of the BAPE’s Mandate on Site Inventory and Final Waste Management RECYC-QUÉBEC '-<-uef"'\, "b ec HEiee Table of Contents Overview ............................................................................................ 3 1. Framework for the Elimination and Reclamation of Residual Materials ………….6 About RECYC‐QUÉBEC ………………………………………………………………………………………………….6 Québec Residual Materials Management Policy Action Plan 2019‐2024 …………………….7 2. Current Site Inventory in Québec ........................................................ 9 Elimination Data …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….9 Recovery and Other Uses ……………………………………………………………………………………………….12 Quantities of Residual Materials Eliminated by RCM ……………………………………………………14. Composition of Eliminated Materials ………………………………………………………………………….15 3. Assessment of Residual Materials Management until 2018 ………………………….16 Quantities of Residual Materials Recovered by Certain Sectors for Québec ………………16. Location of Sorting Centres and Organic Materials Processing Sites ………………………….23 Residual Materials Management Plans, Areas Covered by the Plans and Rights of Supervision.24 4. Overview of Habits and Behaviours of Citizens and ICIs in the Management of their Residual Materials ……………………………………………………………………………………25 Appendices Appendix 1: Quantities of Residual Materials Eliminated by RCM, Equivalent Territory and Metropolitan Community for the Years 2015 to 2018 ………………………………….28 Appendix 2: Costs and Quantities Declared to the Curbside Recycling Compensation Regime for the Years 2015 to 2019 …………………………………………………………………….29 Appendix 3: List of Recycling Sorting Centres by Region ………………………………………….30 Appendix 4: List of current GLPGs ………………………………………………………………………….32 Appendix 5: List of Rights of Supervision Under the RMMPs by Region .................... 33 Page 2 of 33 Overview As part of the mandate on the Site Inventory and Final Waste Management, entrusted to the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement (BAPE) by the Minister of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change, Mr. Benoit Charette, RECYC‐QUÉBEC seeks to participate in the work and reflections by sharing its expertise, knowledge, and data on the subject. This document thus offers an overview of the current status of residual materials in Québec, mainly in terms of their elimination. The Assessment of Residual Materials Management in Québec, a flagship document prepared by RECYC‐QUÉBEC, helps follow and measure Québec's performance in this area. The annual declarations of elimination sites, which are mandatory under existing regulations, serve as primary input regarding the elimination situation. The other data presented are based primarily on voluntary declarations from recovery, sorting, processing, and recycling facilities in Québec. Quantities of Materials Eliminated The total quantities of residual materials eliminated in Québec (excluding sludge) have increased in recent years, posting an increase of just over 9% between 2015 and 2019. The most significant increase is in the quantities received in engineered landfills, especially for the 2018‐2019 period. However, over the same period, the materials eliminated in the construction or demolition waste landfills have decreased by more than 50%. In terms of sludge eliminated, the amount of municipal sludge landfilled decreased from 2015 to 2018 but increased significantly in 2019. Including sludge, the total amount of residual materials disposed of in 2019 therefore amounts to 6,139,000 tonnes. This is an increase of 9.1% over the 5,627,000 tonnes eliminated in 2015. Quantity Eliminated Per Capita Regarding the quantity of materials eliminated per capita, the main indicator of recent action plans stemming from the Québec Residual Materials Management Policy, the most recent data show that 722 kg of residual materials were eliminated per capita in 2019. This is a significant increase compared to previous years, since such a high per capita elimination rate had not been observed since 2011. For 2023, the goal is to lower this amount to 525 kg per capita or less. Page 3 of 33 The Use of Residual Materials in Capping or for Other Uses in Landfills A total of 2,659,000 tonnes of materials were used for capping or other purposes in Québec landfills in 2019. This represents a 20 % increase since 2015, but an increase of more than 80% since 2010, when the quantities used for recovery or other uses were the lowest since the Regulation respecting the landfilling and incineration of residual materials came into effect in 2009. It should be noted that more than half of the materials used for capping or other purposes are composed of contaminated soils, followed by scrap metal shredding residues and construction, renovation, and demolition (CRD) residues such as fine residues, shingles, road material, etc. The increase in the amount of waste used for capping or other uses in landfills results in a significant cover‐to‐burial ratio of 50% in 2019, which means that for every tonne of material buried, 500 kg of material is used for capping or other uses in landfills. CRD Waste Disposed of and Used for Capping or Other Uses In terms of CRD waste disposed of and used for capping or other purposes, an 88% increase in reported quantities was recorded in construction or demolition waste landfills, engineered landfills and trench landfills between 2015 and 2019. In fact, from 507,000 tonnes in 2015, the quantities of CRDs eliminated increased to 1,063,000 tonnes in 2019. This increase is due in part to changes in reporting methods for elimination sites over the years, but also reflects the current importance of CRD residues that are sent for elimination. However, the quantities of CRD residues used for capping or other purposes have continuously decreased from 2016 onwards. This decrease can be explained by various issues experienced by the engineered landfills associated with receiving fine CRD tailings from CRD waste sorting centres as cover material. As a result, the engineered landfills have significantly reduced the use of these residues for this purpose. However, in recent years, significant quantities of CRD waste, which would normally have been sent to landfill or for capping in the absence of viable markets, have been overlooked in the results presented. Several illegal storage or end‐of‐life management sites for these materials are in operation, and the exact quantities sent there remain highly difficult to estimate. Page 4 of 33 Composition of Eliminated Materials Over the past few years, several characterization studies have been carried out throughout Québec in order to determine the composition of residual materials sent for elimination. In 2011, RECYC‐QUÉBEC conducted a first province‐wide disposal characterization study (at the entrance of elimination sites) specifically targeting eliminated materials from the municipal, industrial, commercial, and institutional (ICI) or CRD sectors. A new study has been conducted for the period 2019‐2020 and it provides an overview of the composition of materials eliminated for the year 2019, but also to compare the results with those already obtained for the year 2011. In general, there are three key findings. Firstly, organic matter has decreased significantly between 2011 and 2019, both in terms of total tonnage eliminated and as a proportion of total residual materials eliminated. In 2011, organic materials represented 41% of the total eliminated, while in 2019, this proportion was 30% of the total. On the other hand, there has been a significant increase in CRD residues eliminated. This percentage increases further if we add the rejected materials from sorting centres for CRD residues sent for elimination in 2019, which were not the subject of this study. Finally, there are significant increases in the quantities eliminated for textiles as well as for household hazardous waste (HHW). For textiles, the quantity eliminated almost doubled between 2011 and 2019, while the quantities of HHW eliminated more than doubled during this period. Ultimately, the general observation that we make regarding the most recent data is that many materials that can be reused, recycled, and reclaimed are still currently eliminated in Québec. Therefore, efforts must not only be increased in order to follow their evolution, but above all, to support the various stakeholders in the reduction and sound and responsible management of their residual materials. Page 5 of 33 1. Framework for the Elimination and Reclamation of Residual Materials About RECYC-QUÉBEC RECYC‐QUÉBEC was created in 1990 by the Gouvernement du Québec. It is under the authority of the Minister of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change and conducts its activities in accordance with its incorporating Act, the Act respecting the Société québécoise de récupération et de recyclage (CQLR., c. S‐22.01) and the Act respecting the governance of state‐owned enterprises (CQLR., c. G‐1.02). RECYC‐QUÉBEC's mission is to help Québec reduce, reuse, recycle and reclaim residual materials in a perspective of circular economy and the fight against climate change and its vision is to become a key partner in a waste‐free Québec. RECYC‐QUÉBEC stands out in particular for its ability to mobilize and coordinate stakeholders in the field. Furthermore, the Corporation aims to be the reference in prevention and responsible management of residual materials for any concern or need of citizens, industrial, commercial, and institutional (ICI)