F A L L  I S S U E
N O V E M B E R  2 0 1 9

-  A   M E S S A G E  -

F R O M   T H E   C E O

Zero-waste and the
elephant in the room 

As far as I’m concerned, achieving zero waste society-wide is an impossible dream because there’s a fundamental flaw in the idea. It’s that elephant in the room that everyone loves to ignore. In short, its name is ‘post-consumer recycled content.’ 

For readers not familiar with the term, it refers to materials that have gone through the recycling process after consumers are finished with them, and that have been used to make new products and packaging. That’s the circular economy at work and it contributes to the goal of zero waste. Some consumer, commercial and industrial products and packaging are made with ‘post-consumer recycled content’, but the fact is, its not nearly enough to make a dent in the amount of waste we generate. 

Not to oversimplify, but there are essentially two pillars that support success in creating a circular economy and being able to live a zero waste life in a society that does the same.

First is designing for reuse and recycling, so as little as possible is used once and discarded. The fact is, certain products are better for our health and human safety when used once, but these should be designed, if possible, so they can be recycled, or their resources recovered through advanced molecular recovery technologies currently emerging on the recycling scene.   

Second, if products and packaging are made to be recycled at their end of life, they should be the primary feedstock for new products and packaging. Before taking even one kilogram of virgin material, every kilogram of recycled material should be used first. 
But that’s not what’s happening. Using virgin materials is still the norm, and the preferred practice mostly because, frankly, it’s cheaper. But is it really? If the external environmental and societal costs and impacts were factored in, then virgin materials would be much more expensive then using recycled content. 

So, how can we effect change? Brand owners make decisions about packaging and product material content. Many considerations factor into those decisions like health and safety, keeping products fresher longer, visual appeal, and a plethora of others. Unfortunately, using recycled content is way down the list, if it exists at all, for millions of products and packaging. To paraphrase a certain young Swede who is getting some media attention, that’s not good enough.

Without the pull of a requirement for a higher percentage of recycled content to be used in the manufacturing of new packaging and products, there’s little incentive to change. 

There is another sector that can help kick start change. Purchasers that buy in huge volumes can hold sway over manufacturers and can set standards such as the amount of post-consumer recycled content in products and packaging. Governments at all levels, institutions and large corporations are prime examples. Such a move would contribute to the circular economy by driving end market demand for much more post-consumer materials which, in turn, would fuel recycling infrastructure and investments and create new jobs. It would also drive outcomes that can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve natural resources, optimize energy and water use, have a positive impact on climate change and more.

These aren’t new thoughts but they keep getting forgotten and ignored. Purchasing decisions are made every single day in our respective organizations. It is time we all purchase differently. 

On behalf of Paulina, Vivian and our entire Emterra family, we hope you enjoy this issue of ‘Terra Notes.
 

Best wishes,

Our sustainability first approach
is equivalent to removing

94,535 cars

 from the road annually.

Ryse Solutions Inc. celebrates its first anniversary

It was just over a year ago that Ryse Solutions Inc., made tracks as the second Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) to establish in Ontario. Ryse Solutions was created by Emterra Group to assist obligated producers under the province’s new Used Tire Regulation and Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016. As a registered PRO, and with the services of Emterra Tire Recycling, Ryse has set itself apart as a leader in Ontario, helping tire producers meet their collection and recovery compliance requirements efficiently and effectively. 

With 2020 on the horizon, Ryse is setting its sights on an expansion; starting with an extension of its existing used tire PRO service and then, adding new service offerings for producers of additional recyclable products and packaging - including batteries and electronic waste.  

The team at Ryse will also offer creative Circular Economy Solutions. Through a variety of in-house and partner experience and resources, Ryse will design and implement customized options and programs for new or hard-to-recycle products and packaging. From in-field and at-scale pilot tests, to end market feasibility studies, Ryse will help producers and packaging suppliers answer the question, “Is the product/packaging we are planning to bring to market actually recyclable?”.
----------------------
Gordon Day, Vice President of Ryse Solutions, will be presenting at the Conference on Canadian Stewardship in a session titled: A new approach in Ontario: the Road to IPR. You can catch Gordon and his presentation at this conference on, November 7, 2019 at 1:30 pm. 
 

Recycle BC awards prestigious Blue Star Award to Emterra’s Doris Wong

Emterra Group’s Doris Wong has been recognized by Recycle BC with a Blue Star Award. The Blue Star awards recognize individuals who align with Recycle BC’s values; Doris has been named a Star in Trust.

Producers’ Eyes on Ontario’s ‘Individual Producer Test Case’ Tire Regulations

New policy and regulations in Ontario are creating, for the first time in Canada, individual producer responsibility (IPR). In this article published in the Stewardship Gazette in September, 2019, learn how Emterra is seeing these changes as an opportunity for business growth and an opportunity to offer customers innovative solutions. 

Making the transition to a circular business

Paulina Leung, VP Corporate Strategy and Business Development, recently moderated a panel discussion at the Bloomberg Sustainable Business Summit in Toronto. The topic of discussion was, "Making the transition to a circular business."

A circular economy is based on the principles of designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems. Paulina shared the stage with, (from left), Francis Edmonds, Head of Sustainability, HP Canada, Monique Oxender, Chief Sustainability Officer, Keurig Dr Pepper, and Martin Presse, Directeur des Operations, Lavergne Group.

Coast Waste Management Association Board

Congratulations to Emterra Environmental's Ed Walsh, VP of Operations for BC. Ed is part of the board of directors for the Coast Waste Management Association. Ed and his fellow board members will serve a two-year term with the association, which serves the solid waste and recycling industry in coastal BC.

Hugs for Communities through Emterra’s Community Care™ 

At Emterra, it isn’t always work, work, work. Sometimes we focus on other important parts of life, like helping to improve the environmental health and the well-being of the communities where we live and work. To that purpose, some years ago, we created our Community Care™ program. Today, the main focus of Community Care are two hospitals that Emterra supports and one wild and crazy Shred-a-Thon. 

Welcome to the Emterra family 

We are happy to announce that we have expanded our reach with Recycle BC. Emterra Environmental will now be providing service to the City of North Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver. We will also be continuing our service offering in Prince George, Quesnel and the Regional District of North Okanagan. 

We are growing our business in the State of Michigan and are welcoming a three new communities to the Emterra Environmental USA family. Welcome aboard: the City of Flushing, Forest Township, and Juniata Township who will join us in January 2020.

–  F I N D   &   F O L L O W  –
E M T E R R A   O N L I N E