Recycling Council of Alberta
25th Anniversary 2012
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Reports & Presentations heading

Recycling Council of Alberta Annual Reports


RCA Position Letters

The RCA has developed positions and sent the following letters in an effort to promote waste reduction.

Application of Life Cycle Assessment to Waste Management
Download in PowerPoint format 4.2 Mb / in PDF format 11.70 Mb
Presentedby Christina Seidel, Executive Director, Recycling Council of Alberta, to students at the University of Alberta

Innovative Decision-Making Tools: Life Cycle Assessment and a GHG Protocol for Recycling
Download LCA/GHG Presentation 3.34 MB
Presented by Christina Seidel, Executive Director, Recycling Council of Alberta, at the 2010 SWANA Conference in Banff

Summary Fact Sheet on the Sustainability of Alberta's Waste Stewardship Programs
Download Fact Sheet 372.58 Kb

Summary Fact Sheet on Alberta's Proposed Construction and Demolition Waste Reduction Program
Download Fact Sheet 374.23 Kb

Agricultural Plastics Recycling Pilot Project
Summary Repot - September 2009 831 Kb
In 2007, the Recycling Council of Alberta (RCA) established a working group with representatives from the Alberta Plastics Recycling Association (APRA), the plastic manufacturing sector, retailers, recycling project operators, Alberta Agriculture, Alberta Environment, and recyclers to look at options for agricultural plastic waste that would be environmentally preferable to currently common practices of burning the material on-site, disposing it by burying in landfills or backyard pits, or leaving it in the environment as litter. As part of its research efforts, the working group established a pilot project on
recycling of agricultural plastics. Before a recycling solution can be advocated problems associated with collection, shipment and recycling must be understood and solved. The goal of the agricultural plastics pilot program was to facilitate a recycling solution to conserve a plastic resource that is currently lost and in the process reduce the air pollution that results from open burning of the material. Assessments in communities across the province were made as agricultural profiles and climates differ significantly.

The Role of Waste-to-Energy in a Zero Waste World
 Presentation for on-screen viewing 3.8 MB    Handout pages for printing 2.6 MB
The Recycling Council of Alberta has developed a presentation on the role and impact of waste-to-energy options in municipal waste management systems. This presentation is particularly suited to politicians (i.e., municipal councils) who may be interested in waste-to-energy alternatives, but have little technical background on the implications of this technology. The RCA is offering this presentation to municipalities in the interests of education and open dialogue about the future of waste management in Alberta. The presentation is anticipated to take about one hour, depending on questions and discussion. Those interested in hosting a presentation should contact the RCA at 403.843.6563 or  info@recycle.ab.ca.

2007 Alberta Highway Litter Characterization Study
 Report (PDF 1.8 MB)
This report comments on the litter observed during the 2007 Alberta Highway Litter Characterization Study. This work is not considered a litter audit that compares directly with full litter audits because the sites were chosen by volunteer groups and were not selected in a random manner. This report comments on the characteristics of the litter observed at the Alberta sites in May 2007.

Scrap Metal Recovery and Recycling in Northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories
 Report   (PDF 2 MB)
This report, prepared by the Recycling Council of Alberta submitted to the Government of Canada Climate Change Mitigation Program (Enhanced Recycling) looks at the challenges northern remote communities face with managing their scrap metal. It focuses on the following topics:

  • Existing and related scrap metal recovery programs and associations
  • Northern Alberta and Nortwest Territories stockpiled scrap metal survey results
  • Greenhouse gas diversion potential from scrap metal recovery
  • Scrap Metal Recovery in the Northwest Territories Stakeholder Workshop
  • Transportation and processing/market options
  • Opportunities for financial assistance
  • Recommendations for scrap metal recovery in the Northwest Territories

Recycling Council of Alberta Green Procurement Template
Template_ (PDF 158.78 Kb)
The RCA, through its Leadership & Advocacy Committee, has developed a Green Procurement Policy Template that is intended to make it easier for organizations to develop their own green procurement policy. Considering the environment when making procurement decisions is very important in reducing your organization’s overall environmental footprint. The RCA is hoping that this template will serve as a catalyst for organizations who want to have a green procurement policy, but aren’t sure where to start. Just fill in the blanks, or use the information provided to develop your own customized policy.

Recycling Council of Alberta Green Procurement Research
 Report   (PDF 1 MB)
This report provides a situation analysis on green procurement in Alberta and Canada and develops a road-map for those considering setting up their own program. It includes information on

  • Research of green procurement programs including innovative examples of successful green procurement
  • Developing and implementing a green procurement policy 
  • Resources to assist in developing a green procurement policy. 
  • Locating green products

Greenhouse Gas Impacts of Waste Management Options
 Report Summary  (PDF 168 KB)
The RCA developed a summary of the report "Determination of the Impact of Waste Management Activities on Greenhouse Gas Emissions, 2005 Update" (by ICF Consulting for Environment Canada and Natural Resources Canada) showing that the 3Rs Hierarchy is valid by comparing GHG emissions generated by the different waste management options.

MSW Options Workshop: Integrating Organics and Residual Treatment / Disposal
RCA and mwin administered these workshops hosted by Environment Canada and Natural Resources Canada. Representatives from Canadian municipalities were invited to attend. The workshop was held twice, one in the Toronto area (Feb. 23, 2006), and one at the Delta Calgary Airport Hotel (Mar. 2, 2006).
Speaker Presentations:
     Introduction, PDF 336 KB - Christina Seidel, Recycling Council of Alberta
     Overview, PDF 572 KB - Michael Cant, TSH Engineers Architects and Planners
     Composting, PDF 1.1 MB - Paul van der Werf, 2cg Inc.
     Anaerobic Digestion, PDF 1.5 MB - Maria Kelleher, Kelleher Environmental
     Thermal Treatment, PDF 1.5 MB - Konrad Fichtner, Gartner Lee
     Landfill (Sanitary and Enhanced Treatment Landfill), PDF 1.2 MB - Neil MacDonald, CH2M Hill
Final Report:
     Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Options: Integrating Organics Management
             and Residual Treatment/Disposal, PDF 3.6 MB

Provincial Waste Characterization Framework
Final Report (1.5 MB - PDF format)
Comprehensive and accurate measurement of waste generation and disposal continues to be an issue at both provincial and national levels. Considerable efforts and progress are being made towards improving and streamlining the measurement of waste disposal across Canada. At the same time, additional detail and perspective can be obtained through closer examination of the composition of waste generated from various sources. A number of communities and organizations have conducted waste composition analyses for their internal use. This project was initiated to develop a provincial waste characterization framework that will provide a suggested protocol for conducting waste characterization studies, as well as a process for coordinating and aggregating waste characterization data on a provincial level.

Proceedings / Presentations


National Workshop on Waste Measurement (held in Banff on March 22-23, 2004)
Final Report, includes the presentations given (3.3 MB — PDF format).
Comprehensive and accurate measurement of waste generation and disposal has been identified as an issue virtually across the country. A national multistakeholder committee was established to address issues surrounding national standardization of waste diversion measurement, or Generally Accepted Principles (GAP) of waste measurement. This committee has served to initiate valuable discussion regarding these issues, and has developed a protocol and manual that communities can follow in producing comparable waste generation and diversion measures. It was determined that a national workshop on waste measurement would be valuable in determining barriers and opportunities to increased standardization of waste measurement and reporting throughout Canada.

Scan of Metals and Minerals Recycling Programs and Associated Climate Change Impacts
Final Report (1.6 MB  — PDF format)
The extent and effectiveness of programs diverting metals and minerals waste varies significantly across Canada, as well as internationally. The significant differences in approaches to diverting these materials from the waste stream presents obstacles to programs managers attempting to assess the best approach to program development. This project included the identification of policies and programs within Canada, as well as internationally, that address the diversion of metals and minerals. Using available program data where possible, these programs were evaluated using a number of factors to measure their effectiveness. Effectiveness was then correlated to program approach to assess the level of success of various program types.

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