City of Edmonton Waste Services Public Engagement Non-residential Online Survey

Transcription

1 Non-Residential Stakeholder Survey City of Edmonton Waste Services Public Engagement Non-residential Online Survey This survey is for owners and managers of businesses, including commercial retailers, industrial companies, institutions, and business associations. Thank you for participating in this survey. This survey is being administered by Leger Research, on behalf of the City of Edmonton. Survey responses will remain anonymous and should take no longer than 15 mins to complete. Waste Services is developing a new strategy to reduce the amount of waste produced in Edmonton and the amount of waste sent to landfill, with a goal of increasing landfill diversion to 90%. Your participation is essential to reach waste reduction and diversion goals, and to build a more sustainable and resilient future for all Edmontonians. We appreciate your participation. Input provided through this survey will help shape decisions about Edmonton's future waste system and determine which recommendations are brought forward for City Council approval. For more information, visit edmonton.ca/futureofwaste or, contact: Aurea Siemens Waste Reduction Programs Supervisor Waste Services City Operations City of Edmonton

2 S2 Which of the following best describes the business or industry your organization is in Manufacturing, warehousing or transportation Accommodation or food service Retail or wholesale store or business Health care, dental, hospitals and related institutions Social services Construction or industrial, and related equipment or services Learning institutions Administrative services (e.g., finance, government) Entertainment services (e.g., cinemas, sports/recreation) Automotive services Technology Media, advertising, communications Waste management, waste hauling or recycling Or another industry or business: please specify S3 S4 S5 Please describe what your business does. What is your job title? In what area(s) of the City is your organization located? (If your business has multiple locations, please select as many locations that apply) Central Southwest Southeast Northeast Outside of Edmonton 2

3 S6 Approximately how many employees, including yourself, work for your company in Edmonton location(s) either full-time, part-time, or on an occasional basis? Please include any contract workers who work with you on a regular basis. (If you have more than one location, please provide the total number of employees in Edmonton locations) One 2 to 5 6 to 11 to to to 99 0 to or more Q1. How long has your company been in business in Edmonton? Less than 1 year 1 to 5 years 6 to years More than years Q2. Including your location, how many different worksites does your business operate in Edmonton? More than 0 Please answer Q3 if your organization has more than one location. Q3. Is this location in Edmonton your organization s Head office Regional, branch or district office Franchise operation Something else 3

4 Q4. Is your organization A for profit company or business A not-for-profit organization A public institution Something else (specify) Q5. Does your business or organization have customers or visitors that would dispose of waste on your premises for example, throwing out packaging and waste onsite? Yes No WASTE HAULING In this survey, we will use the words waste, recycling and garbage. Waste is defined as any material that is discarded, whether it goes in recycling, garbage or a composter. Yard Waste includes material that grows in yards such as grass, leaves or branches. Food waste are food-related scraps that can be composted. For the purpose of this discussion it does not include food packaging or yard waste. Garbage is defined as material that cannot be recycled or composted. Q6. To the best of your ledge, how is waste removal handled by your business? Do you Contract someone to haul it for you/use third party Is it handled for you by your building owner or manager? Or do you haul it yourself 4

5 Q7. At your location, do you currently separate any of the following materials from your garbage Yes No Does not apply to you /Prefer not to answer Refundable beverage containers Paper and cardboard Recyclable plastic, glass and metal containers not including refundable beverage containers food waste Yard waste such as grass clippings or small branches Scrap metal (old or broken metal parts) Wood items, such as broken furniture, pallets or wood scraps from construction Construction and renovation waste medical waste, including pharmaceuticals Electronics and electrical materials Chemicals (including oil, paint, fertilizers. etc.) Do you separate any other materials (please specify: 5

6 Please answer Q9 if you are in the business of waste management, waste hauling or recycling (i.e. your answer in question S2). Q9. As a waste collector/hauler, does your company offer services to separate any of the following materials from garbage for customers? Yes No Does not apply to you /Prefer not to answer Refundable beverage containers Paper and cardboard Recyclable plastic, glass and metal containers not including refundable beverage containers Organics such food waste this does not include yard waste Yard waste such as grass clippings or small branches Scrap metal (old or broken metal parts) Wood items, such as broken furniture, pallets or wood scraps from construction Construction and renovation waste Medical waste, including pharmaceuticals Electronics and electrical materials Chemicals (including oil, paint, fertilizers. etc.) Do you separate any other materials (please specify:) 6

7 Please answer Q for all items that you do not currently separate (i.e. No in question Q9). Q. Has your company taken any of the following steps towards separating the following items from your garbage to keep it out of landfill: Thought about or discussed it with someone at work Did research or looked for more informatio n online Requested or obtained quotes from collection companies or suppliers Set up a program with a collection company or ordered supplies like bins or totes for separating materials Asked your current waste hauler about options to support your effort to recycle or otherwise divert this item Or any other step toward separating from your garbage None of the above Refundable beverage containers Paper and cardboard Recyclable plastic, glass and metal containers not including refundable beverage containers Organics such food waste this does not include yard waste Yard waste such as grass clippings or small branches Scrap metal (old or broken metal parts) Wood items, such as broken furniture, pallets or wood scraps from construction Construction and renovation waste Medical waste, including pharmaceuticals Electronics and electrical materials Chemicals (including oil, paint, fertilizers. etc.) Do you separate any other materials (please specify:) Prefer not to answer 7

8 Q11. Here is a list of items that you may separate from your garbage. How does your organization handle the removal of each item? Contract someone to haul it away Handled by your building Haul it yourself / Prefer not to answer Refundable beverage containers Paper and cardboard Recyclable plastic, glass and metal containers not including refundable beverage containers Food waste this does not include yard waste Yard waste such as grass clippings or small branches Scrap metal (old or broken metal parts) Wood items, such as broken furniture, pallets or wood scraps from construction Q12. How frequently is your waste (including recycling and other types of materials) collected: More than once a week Once a week Every two weeks Monthly On request Not picked up 8

9 Q13. Thinking about your current waste collection provider, what were the primary factors that played a role in selecting your provider? Cost of service Convenience (e.g., hours, location) Customer service Existing relationship or contract Shared contract Company reputation Environmentally-friendly disposal of waste Specialized services Other: please specify: Q14. Overall, how satisfied are you with the current level of service provided by your waste collection provider? Very dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Somewhat satisfied Very satisfied 9

10 Q15. Does your organization do any of the following to encourage your customers or visitors to recycle and/or compost on your premises? Provide separate containers for recyclables for your customers Provide separate containers for food waste and/or yard waste for your customers Post signs about where customers can dispose of the different materials that you separate from your garbage Talk to your customers about where to dispose of the different materials that you separate from your garbage Provide or send information to customers about options for separating and disposing of different materials (for off-site customers, for example) Yes No Does not apply to you /Not sure/prefer not to answer Q16. Here are some measures to reduce waste. Again, your organization may or may not do any of these things and some may not apply to you. For each one, please indicate if your organization does this Always or almost always; Often; Sometimes; OR Rarely or Never... Donate or make use of leftover food that s still edible, instead of throwing it out; for example, donating unused perishable food from a meeting or an event Sell or donate unwanted materials (as needed or as an ongoing partnership) Work with suppliers to reduce packaging materials and other waste Use reusable goods instead of disposable items wherever possible Repair goods and equipment before buying new items Make purchase decisions based upon content of materials, for example, providing biodegradable bags for our shoppers, or no longer providing plastic straws, or only buying paper with high amounts of recycled content Always or almost always Often Sometimes Rarely or Never Does not apply to you / Refused

11 Q17. Overall, what are the major reasons your business currently participates in sorting waste or trying to reduce the amount of waste produced? (select all that apply) Cheaper to recycle paper and cardboard than to landfill it Cheaper to compost food waste than to landfill it Better to make into new products than just throw it away Formal corporate policy on recycling or environmental commitment/reputation Our customers want us to create less waste It is important that we meet specific certification standards (e.g., LEED) It s the right thing to do and good for the environment Reducing and diverting waste is not a priority for us Other: please specify In 2019, the City will be phasing in changes to grass, leaf and yard waste collection for residents. As of 2020, grass clippings will no longer be collected in the garbage at the curb, and leaf and yard waste will only be collected seasonally at the curb. Drop-off opportunities would be made available for those materials. Q18. Does your business generate or dispose of any grass, leaf, or yard waste? Yes No Q19. If similar changes to grass, leaf, and yard waste collection were introduced for businesses, what challenges would your business face? / 11

12 WASTE CHANGES Right now, the City of Edmonton offers some waste services to the commercial, industrial and institutional sectors. The city is not required to do so, but to support diversion it offers commercial collections and allows commercial businesses to drop off waste at the waste management centre. It also operates a recycling facility for construction and demolition waste. The City s share of the market is small, about 4% and the balance is run by the private sector. There are no current requirements that private sector proponents divert waste from landfill. Q20. A major focus of this research is to consider what role the City should play in these areas. Right now, the City is asking businesses to comment on the role it plays in this sector, and whether this role should change. Please tell us which roles you think the City should play in managing waste from the commercial, industrial or institutional sector (select all that apply): Setting goals and targets for waste reduction and diversion Setting policies on waste sorting/collection procedures and ensuring they are followed Providing expertise and consultation services Provide educational programming and opportunities for waste reduction and diversion Advocating for policies to require the companies that produce waste pay to manage it. Directly providing commercial waste collection services Directly providing commercial waste processing services None of these Other Q21. Are there any other comments you d like to add about how the City deals with commercial waste management? No comments 12

13 Q22. Prior to this survey, did you that the City provides commercial waste services for businesses? These services include collection and processing, such as recycling. Yes No Q23. Have you ever used the City of Edmonton s Commercial Waste Collection Services for your business? Yes No 13

14 Q24. Thinking about your company or organization, how much do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Please use a scale from 1 to where 1 means you strongly disagree and means you strongly agree with each statement. Commercial businesses should have to sort their waste and meet diversion targets, the same as residents. It is important to keep as much waste as possible out of landfills. My organization will gladly take the necessary steps to follow a new approach to managing its waste. The City should prioritize diverting more waste from the commercial sector if private waste companies won t do it. My organization generally tries to make choices that are good for the environment. Employees in our organization wish we did more to separate waste. My organization is well prepared to adapt to changes. Moving towards diverting more commercial waste from landfills is a good idea. There has to be an incentive to get organizations to participate. 1 Disagree Agree Prefer not to answer 14

15 Sorting waste will be too inconvenient for my organization. Sorting waste will cost too much money. Programs for sorting recyclables and food and yard waste attract customers to my organization. Programs for sorting recyclables and food and yard waste attract employees to my organization. The City should not be competing with the commercial sector. I m not really sure how to start a program to keep food waste out of the garbage. I m not really sure how to start a recycling program. I m not really sure how to reduce the amount of waste we generate. We don t create enough waste to warrant having to sort and divert waste from the landfill. 1 Disagree Agree Prefer not to answer 15

16 In the future, the City of Edmonton will be moving towards keeping more waste out of landfills. Typically the City has focused its efforts on residential households, but this will be changing. Businesses and other organizations create about 60 percent of the waste that is produced in Edmonton. There will also need to be changes to the way that businesses sort, reduce and manage their waste. This could mean separating recycling and food waste from the rest of the garbage, so as much as possible can be recycled or composted. Q25. Prior to this survey, were you aware that Waste Services was considering making changes to the way we sort and manage waste? Yes No 1 Disagree Q21. To what extent do you agree or disagree businesses and other organizations operating in Edmonton should also be required to participate in sorting and reducing their waste? Agree Prefer not to answer 1 Do not support at all Q22. For each of these proposed changes, could you please indicate to what extent your business would we willing to support the following changes: a) Adopting a Zero Waste Goal. By this, we mean keeping the maximum possible amount of waste from landfill, by using a mix of innovative sorting, recycling, processing, composting and other options. Eventually, no waste would end up in landfill. Many cities like Calgary and Vancouver are adopting zero waste goals, Edmonton is considering whether we also should make this our goal support Prefer not to answer b) Changes to use of single-use disposable plastic items, such as straws, plastic bags, and takeout food containers. Several cities have either restricted or do not permit the sale and use of these items, as part of their waste management and environmental sustainability plans. In order to reduce the amount of waste, City of Edmonton is considering similar changes. 1 Do not support at all support Prefer not to answer 16

17 c) Advocating for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Edmonton and Alberta. Many provinces in Canada have EPR policy and programs, but Alberta does not. Under EPR, companies are held responsible, physically and financially, for the production and disposal or recycling of waste from the products they make and sell. This could help make manufacturers responsible for disposal of waste for things that you buy, such as packaging take-back and product recycling programs. 1 Do not support at all support Prefer not to answer d) Expanding reuse programs and initiatives in Edmonton. In order to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, this could mean finding another purpose for some items and developing programs to focus on reuse opportunities. 1 Do not support at all support Prefer not to answer e) Developing food waste prevention and recovery programs. Wasted food has economic, environmental and social impacts, regardless of whether it ends up in the garbage or a composter. Some cities have successfully introduced food waste education programs for residents, as well as food donation programs and partnerships with businesses to promote redistribution and recovery of edible, nutritious foods. 1 Do not support at all support Prefer not to answer f) Separating food scraps from the rest of your garbage for separate collection and processing or composting. In the future, residents and businesses could be asked to separate their food scraps and place them in a separate cart for collection. 1 Do not support at all support Prefer not to answer 17

18 g) Increased sorting of recycling, and recycling requirements. Currently, recycling is voluntary in Edmonton, so some recyclable and reusable materials end up going in landfills because those materials are not sorted. In the future, changes could include making recycling a requirement, sorting of recyclable materials by type (such as keeping paper and cardboard separate from plastics and metals), and introduction of new programs, such as textiles recycling collection drop-off bins. 1 Do not support at all support Prefer not to answer Q23. Thinking about these seven proposed changes, do you have any concerns with introducing these changes and how they could impact your business? What are your concerns? Yes, have concerns No concerns Q24. What challenges, if any, would your business face if you were asked to do more sorting, recycling, or waste reduction? None/no comments 18

19 Q25. Are there any services you can think of that would help your business sort, reuse, or reduce more waste? None/no comments Q26. What could the City do to help make it easier for you to keep more of your waste out of the landfill? Nothing/no comments Q27. How would you prefer to receive information about future changes from the City? [Select all that apply] Word of mouth/someone tell me News/TV Media City website Flyer/mailouts from the City or e-news from the City Social media (including blog posts) Apps (like WasteWise app) Radio advertising from the City Newspaper advertising from the City Other (specify): 19

20 Q28. Have you ever [Select all that apply] Visited the City of Edmonton for information about garbage and recycling Used the City of Edmonton WasteWise app Physically visited a City facility to pick up brochures or speak to someone in person Called 311 Read the Urban Recycler Seen and/or followed City of Edmonton social media posts about waste This completes the survey. You can learn more about these changes at You can enter your responses in the online survey at: OR Scan and your completed survey to: bdavis@leger360.com. On behalf of the City of Edmonton, thank you very much for taking the time to provide your input to help shape the future of waste. 20