Item - 2021.IE23.4

Tracking Status

  • City Council considered this item on July 14, 2021 and referred this item to an official or another committee or body. Consult the text of the decision for further information on the referral.
  • This item was considered by the Infrastructure and Environment Committee on July 5, 2021 and adopted without amendment. It will be considered by City Council on July 14, 2021.

IE23.4 - Changes to Yard Waste Program to Support Employee Health and Safety

Decision Type:
ACTION
Status:
Referred
Wards:
All

City Council Decision

City Council on July 14, 15 and 16, 2021 referred Item IE23.4 back to the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services, to conduct a life cycle analysis of kraft paper bags, and further, review additional options to minimize environmental impacts while addressing employee health and safety concerns, and to report back to City Council with the findings.

Background Information (Committee)

(June 16, 2021) Revised Report from the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services on Changes to Yard Waste Program to Support Employee Health and Safety
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/ie/bgrd/backgroundfile-168769.pdf
Revised Attachment 1 - Yard Waste Collection Container Pilot Results
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/ie/bgrd/backgroundfile-168770.pdf
(June 16, 2021) Report from the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services on Changes to Yard Waste Program to Support Employee Health and Safety
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/ie/bgrd/backgroundfile-168325.pdf
Attachment 1 - Yard Waste Collection Container Pilot Results
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/ie/bgrd/backgroundfile-168332.pdf
Public Notice - New Application Fee - Changes to Yard Waste Program to Support Employee Health and Safety
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/ie/bgrd/backgroundfile-168721.pdf

Communications (Committee)

(July 5, 2021) E-mail from Davey Mol (IE.Supp)

Communications (City Council)

(July 6, 2021) E-mail from Ted Wilson (CC.Main)

Motions (City Council)

1 - Motion to Refer Item moved by Councillor Jaye Robinson (Carried)

That:

 

1.  City Council refer the Item back to the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services, to conduct a life cycle analysis of kraft paper bags, and further, review additional options to minimize environmental impacts while addressing employee health and safety concerns, and report back to City Council with the findings.

IE23.4 - Changes to Yard Waste Program to Support Employee Health and Safety

Decision Type:
ACTION
Status:
Adopted
Wards:
All

Committee Recommendations

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

 

1. City Council amend Section 844-12 of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 844, Waste Collection, Residential Properties, by deleting the option for owners of single family residential properties and multi-residential properties to use rigid open containers for setting out yard waste.

 

2. City Council authorize the City Solicitor and the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services to make such technical and stylistic amendments to City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 844, Waste Collection, Residential Properties, as required and to introduce the necessary bills to delete the option for owners of single family residential properties and multi-residential properties to use rigid open containers for setting out yard waste.

 

3. City Council direct that the amendment to City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 844, Waste Collection, Residential Properties, deleting the option for owners of single family residential properties and multi-residential properties to use rigid open containers for setting out yard waste come into effect on January 1, 2023.

 

4. City Council amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 441, Fees and Charges to delete the fee to purchase a yard waste bin.

 

5. City Council authorize the City Solicitor and the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services to make such technical and stylistic amendments to the City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 441, Fees and Charges, as required and to introduce the necessary bills to delete the fee to purchase a yard waste bin.

 

6. City Council direct that the change to City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 441, Fees and Charges, to delete the fee to purchase a yard waste bin, come into force on January 1, 2022.

Origin

(June 16, 2021) Report from the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services

Summary

This report proposes amendments to the Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 844, Waste Collection, Residential Properties (MC 844). Specifically, the proposed changes to MC 844 would require residential properties that receive curbside collection services to set out yard waste in kraft paper bags only as of January 1, 2023. The amendment to MC 844 is intended to reduce risk of employee injury related to yard waste collection from rigid open containers and enhance operational efficiencies. As a result of the proposed amendment to MC 844, this report also seeks to amend Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 441, Fees and Charges (MC 441) by deleting the fee to purchase yard waste bins.

 

Solid Waste Management Services has identified operational inefficiencies and employee health and safety concerns associated with the collection of yard waste from different types and sizes of rigid open containers. These health and safety concerns were initially identified by the City of Toronto's Ergonomics Unit as part of a Yard Waste Collection Ergonomics Risk Assessment report prepared specifically for Solid Waste Management Services in 2018. To help address ergonomic issues and find a potential solution to reduce the risk for employee injuries, Solid Waste Management Services staff conducted a Yard Waste Collection Container Pilot (the Pilot) to observe resident participation and set out behaviour. The Pilot also piloted the automated collection of yard waste from standardized City of Toronto-issued bins in select areas. Participant feedback was gathered as part of the Pilot to help inform staff recommendations on changes to the yard waste collection program.

 

The Pilot findings showed that although the participating households preferred City of Toronto-issued standardized bins over rigid open containers and kraft paper bags, most households still required additional kraft paper bags to accommodate the amount of yard waste set out for collection. As both rigid open containers and kraft paper bags were being set out for collection, the use of an automated collection vehicle was not operationally efficient and staff were still required to manually lift additional yard waste in kraft paper bags into the vehicle. In addition, the design of the automated vehicle impeded staff's access to manually lift kraft paper bags into the hopper which did not allow staff to maintain proper lifting posture.

 

The amendment to MC844 to set out yard waste in kraft paper bags only will be supported with a communication plan to educate residents and property owners on the new collection requirements for yard waste. Solid Waste Management Services will also work with 311 Toronto to ensure consistent messaging of program participation requirements and Municipal, Licensing and Standards to enforce proper program participation.

Background Information

(June 16, 2021) Revised Report from the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services on Changes to Yard Waste Program to Support Employee Health and Safety
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/ie/bgrd/backgroundfile-168769.pdf
Revised Attachment 1 - Yard Waste Collection Container Pilot Results
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/ie/bgrd/backgroundfile-168770.pdf
(June 16, 2021) Report from the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services on Changes to Yard Waste Program to Support Employee Health and Safety
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/ie/bgrd/backgroundfile-168325.pdf
Attachment 1 - Yard Waste Collection Container Pilot Results
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/ie/bgrd/backgroundfile-168332.pdf
Public Notice - New Application Fee - Changes to Yard Waste Program to Support Employee Health and Safety
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/ie/bgrd/backgroundfile-168721.pdf

Communications

(July 5, 2021) E-mail from Davey Mol (IE.Supp)

Motions

Motion to Adopt Item moved by Councillor Jennifer McKelvie (Carried)

That Infrastructure and Environment Committee adopt Recommendations 1, 2 and 3:

 

1. City Council amend Section 844-12 of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 844, Waste Collection, Residential Properties, by deleting the option for owners of single family residential properties and multi-residential properties to use rigid open containers for setting out yard waste.

 

2. City Council authorize the City Solicitor and the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services to make such technical and stylistic amendments to the City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 844, Waste Collection, Residential Properties, as required and to introduce the necessary bills to delete the option for owners of single family residential properties and multi-residential properties to use rigid open containers for setting out yard waste.

 

3. City Council direct that the amendment to City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 844, Waste Collection, Residential Properties, deleting the option for owners of single family residential properties and multi-residential properties to use rigid open containers for setting out yard waste come into effect on January 1, 2023.

Vote (Adopt Item) Jul-05-2021

Result: Carried Majority Required - Adopt Recommendations 1, 2 and 3
Total members that voted Yes: 3 Members that voted Yes are Mike Colle, Mike Layton, Jennifer McKelvie (Chair)
Total members that voted No: 2 Members that voted No are Denzil Minnan-Wong, James Pasternak
Total members that were Absent: 1 Members that were absent are Anthony Perruzza

Motion to Adopt Item moved by Councillor Jennifer McKelvie (Carried)

That Infrastructure and Environment Committee adopt Recommendations 4, 5 and 6:

 

4. City Council amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 441, Fees and Charges to delete the fee to purchase a yard waste bin.

 

5. City Council authorize the City Solicitor and the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services to make such technical and stylistic amendments to the City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 441, Fees and Charges, as required and to introduce the necessary bills to delete the fee to purchase a yard waste bin.

 

6. City Council direct that the change to City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 441, Fees and Charges, to delete the fee to purchase a yard waste bin, come into force on January 1, 2022.

Source: Toronto City Clerk at www.toronto.ca/council