Summary

To reduce the amount of bulky waste sent to landfill, the City of Drummondville, Québec, has developed an at-home, appointment-based collection service for divertible items. The pilot project implemented in 2020 included the collection of furniture, mattresses, electronic devices, and construction, renovation and demolition (CRD) waste in order to reuse or properly recycle these items. Based on the project’s positive results, the City permanently implemented the service in 2023.

“The pilot project was such a success, and the response of the population was so positive that we decided to maintain the service. We’re now looking at the possibility of adding new categories of divertible items.”

– Marie-Ève Vadnais, Director, Environmental Department, City of Drummondville.

Context

Located in the Centre-du-Québec region, halfway between Montreal and Québec City, the City of Drummondville has a population of nearly 85,000. After significant efforts in the past few years to raise the awareness of good waste management to its population, the City felt the need to take it a step further to reduce the amount of bulky waste sent to landfill.

Challenge

Noting that 70 percent of the bulky waste put to the curbside during quarterly collection drives had the potential to be repaired, reused, transformed or recycled, the challenge for Drummondville was to divert as much of this waste as possible to improve its waste management performance, extend the lifecycle of landfill sites, and generate economic and environmental benefits.

Approach

Through an easy-to-use electronic reservation platform, citizens can register and make an appointment for the type of waste collection of their choice. Then, the addresses of the registrants are extracted to determine the optimal collection route to pick up this divertible waste. The collected waste is then reused or recycled by local partners.

With this new service, Drummondville aimed to:

• Reduce the amount of waste by 2.5 percent during the pilot project and by 5 percent after full-scale implementation.
• Identify and monitor success factors to ensure the cost efficiency of the social economy business and the regional eco-centre.
• Achieve sufficient savings to be able to end one of the three annual bulky waste collection drives.

Results

Within the first year of providing an appointment-based collection service to its residents, the City of Drummondville diverted 245 tonnes of waste from landfill, including 23.5 tonnes of bulky items, generating $18,000 in savings based on per-tonne landfill costs in 2021.

Additionally, the service achieved:

• Nearly 30 tonnes of divertible waste collected in 2022, a 10% increase compared to 2021.
• The elimination of one of the three annual bulky waste collection drives, representing annual savings of nearly $30,000.
• A decrease in GHG emissions and fuel savings through the improved design of collection routes.

These positive results led to the permanent implementation of the service in 2023.

Benefits

“Not only are there environmental benefits, but there are also economic benefits to better managing our waste,” said Marie-Ève Vadnais, Director, Environmental Department, City of Drummondville.

The amount of bulky items and CRD waste diverted from landfill will increase the lifecycle of landfills, reducing GHG emissions, contamination and pollution. Additionally, working with two local, social enterprises and a private waste diversion business promotes the development of a circular economy and community support.

As for the residents of Drummondville, they can now divert or recycle their waste more easily.

Lessons learned

Throughout the process of developing and implementing this service, three main lessons emerged.

1. The need to have recognized partnerships with service agreements, while choosing local organizations that have the capacity to collect and divert waste.
2. Implementing a communication plan with ongoing promotions is crucial to encourage the population to use the new service.
3. Choosing an online reservation platform that is user-friendly for both the population and the people in charge of registrations.

Testimonial

“This project has raised the awareness of the population about waste. Not only are there environmental benefits, but there are also economic benefits to better managing our waste,” said Marie-Ève Vadnais. “The population was informed through a large-scale awareness campaign that we carried out, which had impacts on the total number of tonnes of collected waste, and also on the number of users of the eco-centre”

Next steps

Permanently implemented in 2023, the appointment-based collection service for divertible waste will be expanding in the coming months. The City is already looking into new diversion streams and partners who can recycle or reuse other types of items, such as refrigerators and air conditioners, while ensuring the long-term capacity of current partners to provide waste collection and diversion services.

About Pine Tree Park Estates

Previously a military radar base, Pine Tree Park is Cape Breton's inaugural net zero energy community, having transitioned from fossil fuels with renovated systems and solar panels, setting benchmarks for future projects. Rising energy costs are impacting not only companies' budgets, but the daily lives of tenants living in affordable housing.

About New Dawn Enterprises

Since 1976, New Dawn, a community-focused social enterprise, has offered affordable housing, home care, and diverse programs including arts and food security. They manage five commercial spaces and 215 residences, with 27 units dedicated to supporting those with mental illness. 

"This is a significant transformation for Cape Breton. We really want to encourage other organizations to know that these types of projects are possible and is not out of their reach, regardless of scale."
– Erika Shea, President and CEO of New Dawn Enterprises.

Project information and background

Project profile

• 

  Name: Pine Tree Park Estates

• Owner: New Dawn Enterprises
• Location: Military Road, Sydney, Nova Scotia
• Total area: 80 acres
• Area occupied by building: 15 acres
• Number of homes: 28 homes
• Number of affordable housing units: 20
• Former Department of National Defence radar base, decommissioned in the 1990s.
• Project value: $3.5 M
• Return on Investment ROI: $30,000 (annual)
• Duration: 2018-2023
• Energy savings: 51.5%

Energy conservation measures (ECMs) used

• 

  High-efficiency heating and cooling systems (all units)

• High-efficiency hot water systems (all units)
• Efficient heat recovery ventilation (HRV) systems (all units)
• High-efficiency windows (where required)
• Insulation upgrades (all units)
• Air sealing (all units)
• Installation of 700 kW solar array (1,800 solar panels) (all units)

Context

Before the project:

Pine Tree Park's 28 residences averaged yearly energy costs of $90,000, about $3,200 each, paid directly by residents.

After the project:

Through energy retrofits and solar systems, the project notably reduces utility expenses. Residents will mainly cover a minor solar maintenance fee for inspections and occasional repairs.

Parties involved in development

• Developer: New Dawn Enterprises
• Partners and funders: Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Efficiency Nova Scotia, FCM’s Green Municipal Fund, Nova Scotia Natural Resources and Renewables
• Engineering and construction companies: Aucoin Renovations (retrofits), ARL Mechanical (retrofits), Lynk Electric (solar)
• Consultants: Verschuren Centre for Sustainability in Energy and the Environment
• Project manager: New Dawn Enterprises
• Energy manager: Verschuren Centre

Funding sources

Showing tangible progress

1. Building effective partnerships: New Dawn partnered with the Verschuren Centre for sustainable energy research to enhance their building retrofit. This collaboration offered technical insights, examined options, and emphasized the importance of strategic partnerships in energy efficiency projects. “There is nothing like knowing that you’re not alone and you have someone who also has your best interest in mind but also has the ability to answer your technical questions on the spot.” – Erika Shea.
2. Navigating funding complexities: Securing funds from diverse federal and provincial sources was vital. Yet, managing these varied sources was complex. New Dawn used spreadsheets to effectively track funding, ensuring organization and transparency.
3. Demonstrating progress: Regular updates to the Board of Directors were critical to highlight progress, discuss funding status, and gather crucial feedback for the project's direction.
4. Ensuring meaningful stakeholder engagement: Regular community meetings kept residents informed, addressed concerns, and fostered trust and collective ownership in the project. “If we hadn’t done those community meetings, we’d probably have had a lot more individual calls and some concerns from tenants.” – Erika Shea.
5. Budget flexibility: An important consideration in large projects is maintaining flexibility in design to adapt to available budgets, especially when a significant portion of the budget depends on external funding.

Early strategies to engage decision-makers:

1. Craft a solid business case: Showcase both financial and ecological benefits to rally stakeholders around the project.
2. Showcase funding options: Emphasize potential funding sources, enhancing confidence in the project's feasibility.
3. Share knowledge: Distribute relevant research and articles to enlighten decision-makers on energy efficiency.
4. Hold informative sessions: Organize meetings with leaders to address queries, discuss finances, and mitigate risks, fostering understanding and support.

In the evolving landscape of energy and climate policies, New Dawn Enterprises stands as a role model for achieving sustainability in affordable housing. Their experience shows that, despite challenges faced, moving toward energy efficiency is not only achievable but also economically and socially rewarding.  

For more information about Pine Tree Estate’s decision-making process, read the interview with Erika Shaw, President/CEO of New Dawn Enterprises