Theme EN 3: Solid Waste

Theme Statement

Solid waste in Kingston is treated as a potential resource and Kingstonians are continuously making choices that lead towards becoming a zero waste community.

Indicators

Residential Diversion Rate (Rate of residential diversion from landfill - as a percentage of total weight of residential waste materials collected) – recycling and compost.
Residential solid waste (Total tonnes of residential solid waste disposed per capita).

Goals

Reduce solid waste in the industrial, commercial, institutional (IC&I)²⁰, and residential sectors.
Establish a culture of reusing materials and expanding the useful life of products.
Utilize waste as a resource that can be recycled for new uses, composted for soil enhancement, incinerated for fuel etc.
Reduce solid hazardous wastes from all sectors.
Keep Kingston clean by reducing litter present within our community.

Actions

Action	Action Lead	Target	Status
Recycling Centres Glass, Paper and Plastic Recycling stations with programming aimed to educated the customer.	Brown's Dining Solutions	Have recycling available at all locations	Ongoing
Menus Decrease paper waste with TV Screen Menu Boards or Erasable White Board Menu Boards.	Brown's Dining Solutions	Have one of these options available at all locations.	In Progress
Biodegradable take out containers, cutlery and glassware	Brown's Dining Solutions	Have available at all locations.	In Progress
Composting Organics Options Options for kitchen and service area and customer seating area.	Brown's Dining Solutions	Have available at all locations.	In Progress
Brown’s Cupanion Reusable Mug Program Discount for use of any re-usable mug.	Brown's Dining Solutions	Have mugs available for sale at all locations.	In Progress
Waste Reduction and Diversion Compost systems located in kitchen, blue boxes for recycling throughout the office, use of electronic communication whenever possible and all documents printed on FSC-certified post-consumer recycled content.	WESA	Reduce amount of paper by encouraging clients to switch to electronic documents; reducing number of printed emails, reducing accumulated garbage by 15% and using composted items for small rooftop garden.	Ongoing
Re-Book Program	St. Lawrence College	Divert reusable paper from the recycling stream.	Ongoing
Plastic Garbage Bag Reduction Office bins no longer lined with bags.	St. Lawrence College	Divert 20,000 plastic garbage bin liners from landfill each year.	Ongoing
Coffee Cup Recycling Program	St. Lawrence College	To increase coffee cup recycling.	Ongoing
Re-Purposing of Excess Furniture We re-purpose excess furniture to not-for-profit organizations that are either not funded by Government or under funded. We keep a database of requests from charities in need of donations and when product becomes available that matches that need we deliver and install the product free of charge. We also encourage our customers to find a charity or not for profit organization in need that can re-purpose their existing furniture. We facilitate this by delivering and installing the re-purposed furniture to not for profit organizations free of charge.	Upper Canada Office Systems	The primary goal is to minimize furniture going to landfill. The second goal is to provide better working conditions for staff and volunteers of not for profit organizations in our community.	Ongoing
Distribution of Blue Boxes A blue box is placed at each desk as well as beside copiers to encourage employees to recycle. All confidential material is shredded in-house so it can be recycled as well. Recycle bins for paper, cardboard, plastics and metal are placed in the kitchen.	Upper Canada Office Systems	Eliminate recyclable waste going to landfill.	Ongoing
Lunchroom Facilities Our lunch room is equipped with a water filter system to eliminate the need for water bottles. We provide flatware, cutlery, cups and glasses and encourage their use with an energy efficient dishwasher.	Upper Canada Office Systems	Reduce waste by reducing the need for disposable products.	Ongoing
The BlackBox Initiative To reduce downstream e-waste through the refurbishment/reuse of donated computer technology. Equipment for reuse will be available at low or no cost to both less class-privileged students and Kingston community members.	Open Source Action Centre	Equipment for reuse will be available at low or no cost to both less class-privileged students and Kingston community members.	Ongoing
Waste Reduction - All kitchen cuttings are composted - All fryer oil is repurposed as bio fuel - All recyclable material is diverted - All takeout cutlery and containers are compostable - All condiments are purchased in bulk and served in reusable containers - Paper towels are post consumer recycled content	Iron Duke on Wellington	Divert as much waste as possible through recycling and reuse	Ongoing
E-books The Library E-book collection is available free of charge through the Library’s website. E-books save on trees and reduce solid waste.	Kingston Frontenac Public Library	To help reduce paper usage.	Ongoing
Used Book Sales and Book Redistribution The Friends of the Library accept and resell gently used books in ongoing book sales at the Central Library and Isabel Turner Branch. Books which are discarded from the Library collections are sent to Better World Books for redistribution throughout North America.	Kingston Frontenac Public Library	To help keep books in the hands of people.	Ongoing
Waste Diversion Eliminate office solid waste to landfill.	Aureus Solutions Inc.	Reduce net solid waste (ie. waste that is sent to the landfill) to zero bags/year.	Ongoing - 2010: approx. 12 small, 100% biodegradable bags (kitchen sized) were land filled last year for office of two.
Create Paperless Office Eliminate the use of paper in our office.	Aureus Solutions Inc.	- 0 sheets of paper printed. - No incoming industry mail or junk mail.	- Ongoing - 2010: < 2 packs of 500 sheets printed last year (includes faxes) - Moving all magazine subscriptions to digital.
Waste Diversion Initiatives include: - Visible recycling bins in lobby, meeting rooms, kitchens, guestrooms, front desk, public meeting spaces and offices. - Recycling of aluminum, plastic, glass, cardboard, mixed paper, toner cartridges and batteries. - Vendors are asked to remove and recycle pallets and crates. - Composting systems installed in kitchens, restaurants and meeting spaces. - Use of bulk options for condiments, juices and water. - Use of reusable dishware, china, glasses and cutlery. - Use of reusable linens. - 50% of meeting room tables do not require linens. - Use of electronic technology for communications, proposals, contracts wherever possible.	Ambassador Conference Resort	We have reduced/diverted over 65% of our waste from landfills to recycling and composting in the last 18 months. Continue to reduce/divert waste from our hotel.	Ongoing
Waste Diversion Initiatives include: - Visible recycling bins in lobby, meeting rooms, kitchens, guestrooms, front desk, public meeting spaces and offices. - Recycling of aluminum, plastic, glass, cardboard, mixed paper, toner cartridges and batteries. - Vendors are asked to remove and recycle pallets and crates. - Composting systems installed in kitchens, restaurants and meeting spaces. - Use of bulk options for condiments, juices and water. - Use of reusable dishware, china, glasses and cutlery. - Use of reusable linens. - 50% of meeting room tables do not require linens. - Use of electronic technology for communications, proposals, contracts wherever possible.	Four Points by Sheraton	Continue to reduce/divert waste from our hotel. 2010-Waste diversion rate (composted and recycled) down 51.99% from 2009.	Ongoing
Compostable Utensils, Organic Separation, Recycling - Replace all disposable cutlery, plates and cups with compostable products. - Source separated organics management by Norterra Organics. - Collection of metal, plastic and paper wastes for recycling.	Windmills Restaurant	Reduce solid waste to landfill.	Ongoing
Provide Sustainable Environmental Products at Cost More information is available.	The Earth Centre	Increase the number of visitors over the next 2 to 3 years.	Ongoing (Started tracking the number of visitors in September 2010.)
Bottled Water Ban Queen’s is committed to reducing and eventually ending the sale of bottled water on the Queen’s campus and promoting the use of readily available municipal water.	Queen’s University	Elimination of the sale of bottled water on campus by 2012.	Ongoing
Freecycle@work Is an online item exchange network available to students, staff and faculty at Queen’s University. It provides a vehicle for the campus community to advertise items (i.e. office supplies, furniture equipment) they no longer need for others to use at no cost. Additional information and an application for Queen\'s staff and faculty is available on the website.	Queen’s University	Increase membership to 1000 users (from 288, as of Feb 2011).	Ongoing
Recyclemania 2011 Queen’s is participating in this international competition designed to improve waste management on campuses.	Queen’s University	Goals include: creating a fun and friendly competitive activity for Queen’s students; promoting recycling on campus; reducing excess waste on campus, increasing awareness of recycling facilities on campus and improving waste diversion rates.	Ongoing (Waste and recycling data will be posted on the Recyclemania 2011 website.)
Water Bottle Filling Stations Water bottle filling stations were installed in selected sites as part of a pilot project. These stations serve as both a water fountain and a refilling station for reusable water bottles.	Limestone District School Board	To reduce the amount of single use water bottles used in schools.	Ongoing
Green Bin Program A program that collects source separated organic wastes from Kingston residents and processes that waste into valuable high-quality compost.	City of Kingston	Contributes to an overall target of a residential diversion from landfill rate of 60%.	Over 2000 tonnes of organic waste not landfilled since April 2009.

20 Industrial, commercial, and institutional (IC&I) waste includes construction, renovation, and demolition (CR&D) waste.