ASET Technology Alberta Winter 2022 - 18

At Lafarge's Exshaw plant, wood and plastic are mixed to create an alternate low carbon fuel source that can replace fossil
fuel during cement manufacturing. Image courtesy of Lafarge and Geocycle.
The Government of Alberta recently
started the regulatory process that
will soon shift the cost of recycling
onto the shoulders of producers, and
away from everyday Albertans. The
concept is known as extended producer
responsibility. In addition to removing
financial burden from consumers, it
could potentially reduce GHG emissions
by 72,000 tonnes.
London says that means that " producers will be responsible
financially and operationally for getting those materials
managed in end of life rather than municipalities. "
Resultantly the role of municipalities regarding waste management
will undergo some changes going forward.
" We may still continue to provide programs and collection
services, we likely will for our residents, but the financial responsibility,
it's our producers, " London says. The provincial
push to place more responsibility on producers is reflected
as well in federal plans.
" The federal government is also introducing recycled content
targets for producers, for packaging. So, they need the
recycled content to put back into their packaging again, and
this is like a direct route to get this material back to producers, "
London says.
Producers faced with the costs of cleaning up what they're
putting out does tend to make them adjust accordingly, London
has noticed. This equates to changing behaviours and
using more recyclable materials, or using less materials in
general.
" I think that focus has to be upstream, and that's where you
see a lot of the conversations about net zero and the climate
goals. They're also sending similar signals to producers, " he
says.
The widespread changes being made signify a growing
trend London has noticed in waste management, one in
which the concept of circularity is taking up a larger space
in the discussion.
" I think it is very much the wave of the future right now, " London
says. " We see a lot of municipalities working on making
their cities more circular. There's a program across Canada
right now called the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative. "
The initiative offers a peer-to-peer connective tissue between
players in the Canadian local government sector. The
Recycling Council of Alberta, whose prime directive is to
help create a circular economy in the province, is one of the
collaborating partners behind it.
We all produce waste. If those recent approaches in legislation,
municipal waste management and industry are any indication,
we're all becoming better than ever at stepping up and
finding ways to deal with it more responsibly. While the journey
towards true circularity is an arduous one, it's the only
option we have to whittle down our growing global trash pile.
Revaluating waste not as an eye and nose sore destined for
the dump, but as a resource with vast potential, will undoubtedly
help us conquer that seemingly Sisyphean task.
18 | WINTER 2022 | TECHNOLOGY ALBERTA

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-releases-four-year-plan-to-shift-cost-of-recycling-to-producers-1.6620367 https://www.alberta.ca/circular-plastics-economy-engagement.aspx https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/overview https://canadiancircularcities.ca/Pages/default.aspx https://plasticactioncentre.ca/directory/government-of-canada-moves-forward-to-reduce-plastic-pollution/

ASET Technology Alberta Winter 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASET Technology Alberta Winter 2022