Waterfront Toronto Diverts 86% of Construction Waste

Waterfront Toronto, the public advocate and steward of waterfront revitalization, says in its first corporate social responsibility and sustainability report that, on average, 86% of its construction, demolition and excavation waste has been diverted from landfill from 2010 through 2012.

For construction-related waste, Waterfront Toronto requires that all construction and demolition projects divert a minimum of 50% of waste, with a target of 75%, according to the sustainability report. This requirement is included in the Environmental Management Plan and is a credit achieved as part of its LEED for Neighbourhood Development Gold certification.

“With landfill space at a premium, waste management is a critical issue for the City of Toronto and Waterfront Toronto has addressed this in several ways,” the report states:

• On the building-scale, Waterfront Toronto’s Minimum Green Building Requirements mandates that all kitchens have separated cabinet space for the segregated collection of the three streams of waste (recyclables, organics, and waste).
• All residential buildings over three storeys must provide tri-sorting or separate chutes for each stream of waste on each floor. A collection area for household hazardous waste such as paints, batteries, and electronics must also be provided in all buildings.

Waterfront Toronto was created by the City of Toronto, the province of Ontario, and the Government of Canada in 2001 and given a 20-year mandate and $1.5 billion of seed capital to transform 800 hectares of brownfield lands. Since then, its vision has been to revitalize Toronto’s waterfront into “a spectacular public destination with vibrant public and cultural spaces and beautifully designed sustainable mixed-use neighbourhoods inspired by their unique locations.”

The city of Toronto’s division of solid waste management has a goal of 70% diversion of waste from landfill by 2034. The city currently manages over 1 million tonnes of waste annually, and recycles or composts 47% of all waste generated.