Garbage is a smelly business, and I admire anyone willing to take on the challenging job of waste management. Every community has to deal with waste and it is always a contentious issue. We all want our garbage handled in a way that is both gentle to the environment and cost-effective but are municipal governments or private industry the best choice?
Waste management has become an albatross, or should I say sea gull, around the neck of both the Town and the County of St. Paul. After taking over the recycling program from St. Paul Abilities Network (SPAN), the Town has come under criticism for announcing that it will not be taking plastics, tin and glass because there is no market for these products.
Evergreen Regional Waste Management Commission, although technically a separate entity, seems to be just arms’ length from County of St. Paul council. The current and previous chairpersons of Evergreen were also elected county councillors. County employees manage the facility and so the office for Evergreen is located in the county office.
Evergreen has faced environmental challenges from ratepayers. It has been in public disputes with other municipalities about increases in tippage fees and most recently there was a debate in council about how Evergreen charges farmers for dropping oversized loads at the landfill.
I recall a presentation organized by the Town of St. Paul, by Plasco Energy Group. The business converts 200 tonnes of garbage per day into syngas that will fuel generators that create electricity. The electricity in turn can be sold, resulting in a profit. Representatives made it clear that they intended to make a profit and so they needed enough waste garbage to make the plant work. They said that they were not competing for recyclables but could take anything that could go to a landfill.
They outlined a number of environmental measures that would remove and recycle heavy metals and other contaminants. There were a number of air pollution control mechanisms to make sure that pollutants didn’t escape into the atmosphere. One of the byproducts was similar to asphalt and could be used to make roads. The presentation sounded very convincing. Of course, it would require some research to make sure Plasco Energy Group could deliver on its promise but private enterprises seem to be more responsive to the concerns of customers, in this case, customers’ call for a more environmentally friendly solution to landfills.
The problem with Plasco’s proposal is that it would require a large volume of waste, so several municipalities would have to cooperate on the project. Unfortunately, there was not enough support but maybe there are other private enterprises that would have a more appropriate plan.
A private businessperson has come forward and offered to pick up tin for recycling from the Town of St. Paul. If we assume that he is making a profit, then he must have been able to find a market when the Town of St. Paul could not. Perhaps there is more incentive for private business to find a way to make a profit from recycling.
Businesses tend to be more responsive to the concerns of their customers and they have more incentive to find solutions. Perhaps it is time to separate the garbage from the politics and see if the private sector has something to offer.
