FCM Waste Guide (Dissemination Phase)

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Objective(s)

The objective of this Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) project is to develop a guide and workbook to help communities plan and implement sustainable solutions to waste management. Communities will be provided with tools to make sound decisions which could result in substantial GreenHouse Gas (GHG) reductions.

Description

There are various technically viable options available to convert manure, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), Municipal Water Waste (MWW), and industrial wastes to energy and for the recovery of value added products. Assessing the feasibility of waste management options is essential in reducing potential hazardous effects to human health and the environment. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has prepared a waste management guide and workbook to provide municipalities with information and a process to enhance waste related decisions appropriate for individual communities. These documents consist of comprehensive reviews of waste technology and waste policy. A framework for making decisions relating to the waste management system employed and options that will best meet local circumstances is provided. In particular, the FCM Waste Guide highlights novel 'energy from MSW' technologies. Various quality communications tools are also associated with the guide. Communicating the content of the documents produced to municipal waste managers describing how higher energy recovery rates can be achieved within their operations, is a priority of this project. Other initiatives include producing promotional material such as project announcements, web-based presentations, articles, and CDs.

Significant Outcomes

The FCM Waste Guide and Workbook will be a valuable source of information for municipalities enhancing the decision making process when dealing with waste related issues. By better informing municipalities, decision makers will be encouraged to support GHG reducing initiatives. Documents produced from this research will be disseminated through a series of FCM-lead workshops. Several regional workshops and conferences in conjunction with municipal solid waste management Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) for resource dissemination have been held in addition to the set up of a waste Guide Help Line.