PLEASE NOTE THAT AS OF MAY 12, 2009, THIS WEBSITE WILL NO LONGER BE MAINTAINED.
PLEASE VISIT www.municipalwaste.ca

May 12, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Prepare to Launch – 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4,….
A new website and a new name

The Guelph-based Association of Municipal Recycling Coordinators (AMRC) is changing its name to the Municipal Waste Association (MWA) and launching its new website.
Sherry Arcaro, who chairs the association, made the formal announcement about the intended “rebranding” at the AMRC’s Fall Conference in Niagara-on-the-Lake in October 2008.
The AMRC was formed in 1987 as an informal group of municipal waste professionals charged with operating recycling programs in Ontario. The AMRC was formally incorporated in 1992.
“Over the past 21 years, since the AMRC has been in existence, the face of waste management has dramatically changed across Ontario,” said Ms Arcaro. The blue box responsibilities of its municipal members have been augmented by organics collection, the management of household hazardous waste, electronics recycling and other diversion activities.
“The AMRC has evolved with this change, shifting gears as dictated by the times from general waste reduction and recycling information to focused policy and position paper work on these newer diversion activities.
For the past few months, the organization has been working on the transition from AMRC to MWA and the launching of the website is the final piece in the process.
The new website - www.municipalwaste.ca - will be launched today and we invite you to visit our new site and send us your comments on our new blog.
The site, which was designed by Snap Design of Belleville, will soon include the ability to have its members pay online for MWA memberships, conferences and events.
The newly designed MWA website will better serve our growing membership and improve and sustain our value-added services. Vivian De Giovanni, Executive Director of the Municipal Waste Association, said the new site “will provide our municipal, private sector and associate members with a convenient, easy to access and comprehensive source of information on waste minimization and diversion programs and issues.”
“As a Board we feel that the new name, Municipal Waste Association, is an appropriate name for an organization that has become the leading municipal voice on all aspects of waste diversion and over-all sustainability of waste management programs in Ontario”, added Ms Arcaro.
The new branding of MWA is a result of a culmination of many years of hard work by the association staff, board of directors and standing committees, said Ms Arcaro.
“The MWA is very fortunate to have representatives from all across Ontario on the Board of Directors and on our standing committees. The Board and committee members work closely with private sector representatives to problem-solve on challenging issues that will shape the future of our diversion programs.”
For more information, contact Vivian De Giovanni (519) 588-9363 (cell) or (519) 823-1990 (office), or Sherry Arcaro at (705) 775-2737, ext 317.

PLEASE NOTE THAT AS OF MAY 12, 2009, THIS WEBSITE WILL NO LONGER BE MAINTAINED. PLEASE VISIT www.municipalwaste.ca


Waste Diversion Ontario's April 14 report on the Blue Box Program Plan review approved by the WDO - available on its website Click here.

Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES) has now posted the Draft Preliminary Revised (Phase 1 and 2) WEEE Program Plan, available on the OES website: Click here.

MWA Spring Workshop - May 27-28
Interim program now available
See our Events page

Jobs in Kawartha Lakes, York, Wellington County, Niagara Region
See our Jobs page

Tire plan approved by MOE.
More information here


There is a New Date for the OES Consultation Workshop/Webcast #2 on Draft Preliminary Revised (Phase 1 & 2) WEEE Program Plan APRIL 30, 2009
More information here

Request for Expressions of Interest for Volunteer Ontario Municipal Blue Box Programs to Receive Program Opportunities Assessments
- See our Jobs/Tenders page

Latest markets update - March 24

Tire plan approved by WDO, posted to EBR.
More here

The MWA 2009 Spring Workshop at Hockley Valley (May 27-28)
Early details, registration and sponsor information now available
- See our Events page


Proceedings from the February 5 markets workshop and a summary of the discussions now avaialble
See our Proceedings page


AMRC name change

Readers of our newsletter and other recently-issued AMRC documents will have noticed MWA has been added to the AMRC name.
Last fall, the AMRC board decided to change the name of the organization to the Municipal Waste Association (MWA) to reflect more accurately the breadth of work its members perform. Since the AMRC was formed in 1987, the blue box responsibilities of its municipal members have been augmented by organics collection, the management of household hazardous waste, electronics recycling and other diversion activities.
The change-over will take a few months as people become familiarized with the new name.
A new website, featuring the ability to pay online for MWA (AMRC) memberships, conferences and events, is scheduled to be launched in January. Once the MWA website (municipalwaste.ca) is ready to go “live,” visitors to the old website address (amrc.ca) will be re-routed to the new one and emails to addresses @amrc.ca will be forwarded to the new email addresses @municipalwaste.ca.
Callers to (519) 823-1990 can expect to hear “Good morning, Municipal Waste,” and there will be a request to have cheques made out to MWA rather than AMRC (although they will still be acceptable for several months).

OES hires executive director, issues REOI
Click here

Draft tire plan posted
Click here

AMO seeks support for response to WDA review
Click here
Markets - December 15/08

Over the past few weeks we have been sending our municipal members updates on the current markets situation and discussions with stakeholders aimed at addressing some of the challenges. There is expected to be a joint statement from AMO, MOE and Stewardship Ontario late this week. Given the way the blue box funding was set up - payments from stewards are based on blue box costs reported in the Data Call from two years prior - the focus will likely be on keeping materials moving. In the meantime, please find below a comprehensive analysis of the current situation from Phil Zigby, chair of the AMRC Markets, Operations & Contracts Committee.
Click here

AMRC Fall conference proceedings now available
see Conference/workshop Proceedings page

Recycling markets in turmoil

November 20 report
Recyclables appear to be moving for the most part, but prices are still much lower. There is a glut of OCC but this is expectd to level off over the coming couple of months as generation slows down. The overseas market appears to have pretty much dried up and recycling programs in Europe are also facing the same over-supply challenges. We continue to work on a multi-pronged strategy that covers both the short-term need and the long-term situation, and should be in a position to release something soon. While we don't have all the answers to some of the broader questions, we can at least give you the latest news. So if you need to report to your council, for example, please feel free to call for an update.
(519) 823-1990


November 13 report

Here is an update on the latest developments/discussions to address the current markets situation.

Overall, recyclables do appear to be moving for now even if prices are way down or even negative values.
That being said, quite a few are warehousing or are looking at it even though the general sense is that this downtown could last until the end of next year. Declining paper quality has been an issue with the mills for years and with no overseas markets available this is something that needs to be addressed. With the car industry and housing slowing down the demand for steel is way down; aluminum is slowing down and mills always prefer the cleaner deposit material. Non-deposit glass material also looks bleak. Demand for secondary plastics as feedstock will remain low as long as a barrel of oil is cheap. Prices are way down but it is at least moving for now. While there are no obvious silver bullet solutions to this excess of supply over demand right now, given our global marketplace, there are a number of short-term measures we believe can at least alleviate the situation.
Working with the private sector contractors, we are hoping to come up with some kind of general strategy that covers both the short-term need and the long-term situation.

November 4 report

Here is an update on the latest developments/discussions to address the current markets situation.
We have met with one of Ontario's main paper mills and plan to meet with another tomorrow.
We have met with OWMA and are planning another meeting next week to get a fuller understanding of the breadth of the problems resulting from the slow down and in some cases the non-availability of end markets and price drops of other materials.
We will also start laying out some possible measures to address the various issues that arise, such as contracts that are either based on anticipated revenues or include a share of revenues, and storage/regulatory challenges.
Our primary focus here is to keep things moving as much as possible, to cooperate where possible and to work with the MOE and stewards to ensure they are fully appraised of the situation and its impacts.

October 28 report
As noted at the AMRC fall conference last week, we have some serious problems with recycling markets. Prices are going down but more importantly, some mills are not accepting material. The AMRC is working to address the issues. Stay tuned and watch out for email bulletins shortly.

Ontario Minister calls for used tire program
The minister's August 14 letter to the Waste Diversion Organization

Ontario Minister calls for Phase 2 and 3 for MHSW
The minister's July 22 letter to the Waste Diversion Organization
July 10 - WEEE approved
Now posted - the MOE news release
Click here

Stewardship Ontario has just released a request for expressions of interest (REOI) for potential providers of technologies and/or facilities for the management of Blue Box plastic packaging recovered from Blue Box recycling programs across the Province of Ontario
see Jobs & Tenders page

RCO accepting nominations for Waste Minimization Awards -
Download the application

AMRC 2008 Spring Workshop/AGM proceedings available
see Conference Proceedings page

AMRC Plastic Film Study available from the AMRC website
Commissioned by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, the Plastic Film Collection and Processing Study was conducted by the AMRC and reviewed the various challenges and financial implications of municipal curbside programs collecting plastic film.
Download the study

March 20
WDO approves WEEE plan

Ontario Electronic Stewardship’s final waste electronics and electrical equipment (WEEE) Program Plan was approved by the Waste Diversion Ontario board March 19 and has been forwarded to Ontario Environment Minister John Gerretsen for his approval.
For a copy of the OES report, visit the OES website


AMO seeks comments on its latest discusion paper: AMO/AMRC Discussion Paper: An Alternative Approach to Ontario’s Blue Box Funding Model Discusson Paper
see Policy Papers page

CPRA reopens for business - now known as the Canadian Polystyrene Recycling Alliance. Here's the letter sent to CPRA clients

February 21
MHSW Plan approved

Click here for previous headline news