Regina Construction III

[BrutallyDishonest2]

Originally Posted by Stormer

I am an avid recycler but I fear a lot of Regina's program is window dressing (politics). The City does very little to advertise what should and should not go in blue bins.

I have you call you out on this because its horsepoop. The city's waste diversion team has been extremely proactive in getting info out. This includes a media campaign at rollout. Followed by basically 100% detached house leaflets. The city's website is also extremely good, giving a place to literally look up what is recyclable vs trash. This past summer they just concluded another outreach campaign with prizes, etc. They also actively go into schools to teach kids about recycling, etc.

That isn't to say that Emterra is a greedy, shitty company because it is. But don't throw city employees under the bus because you have no idea what's going on. That said, I encourage everyone to put their wrapping paper in the blue bins as a FU to Emterra.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Originally Posted by BrutallyDishonest2

...I encourage everyone to put their wrapping paper in the blue bins as a FU to Emterra.

Thanks for making me laugh.

Yes, the city has done reasonably well with information. I applaud them for that.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by BrutallyDishonest2

I have you call you out on this because its horsepoop. The city's waste diversion team has been extremely proactive in getting info out. This includes a media campaign at rollout. Followed by basically 100% detached house leaflets. The city's website is also extremely good, giving a place to literally look up what is recyclable vs trash. This past summer they just concluded another outreach campaign with prizes, etc. They also actively go into schools to teach kids about recycling, etc.

That isn't to say that Emterra is a greedy, shitty company because it is. But don't throw city employees under the bus because you have no idea what's going on. That said, I encourage everyone to put their wrapping paper in the blue bins as a FU to Emterra.

I disagree. I know the information is easily available form the City and it is clear. I have accessed it and have always known exactly what to put in the bin, but almost every person I talk to has no clue, including very smart people and people in my own house! I see the bins on my street and elsewhere full of stuff that should not be there. I would bet you way less than half of people don't throw plastic bags and styrofoam in bins.

Some of the easiest stuff to truly recycle are tin cans and aluminum foil. Many do not even know that.

[thefourthtower]

http://javapost.ca/news/remax-hot-air-balloon-over-regina-saskatchewan-canada

RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon over Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada


Topics: Java Blog


The Java Post Aerial Photography crew was working on a project in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada when the RE/MAX hot air balloon arrived at our shooting location. Taking advantage of this unplanned visit, our crew approached the pilot of the balloon - Zach Seibel of Sundance Balloons - and coordinated mutual flight and safety plans so that we could capture some aerial footage of the balloon as it ascended into the skies over the city
Amazing

[thefourthtower]

http://javapost.ca/work/item?id=288
Beautiful

[pappcam]

Originally Posted by Stormer

I disagree. I know the information is easily available form the City and it is clear. I have accessed it and have always known exactly what to put in the bin, but almost every person I talk to has no clue, including very smart people and people in my own house! I see the bins on my street and elsewhere full of stuff that should not be there. I would bet you way less than half of people don't throw plastic bags and styrofoam in bins.

Some of the easiest stuff to truly recycle are tin cans and aluminum foil. Many do not even know that.

I go into city run facilities and multiple times I've seen them setup with a table and info on recycling including a fun little test you do and you get a little blue recycling bin/pen holder type of thing.

The city has done a lot to get the info out there.

On the other hand, it's time to turf Enterra and get someone in there who can take more recycling items.

No plastic/grocery bags?? That's completely ridiculous as that's the first thing a person sees in a ditch or park blowing around on the ground.

[Treesplease]

How do recycling programs work in other cities? I look inside my blue bin when it is full and it is a mess of glass, tin, cardboard, cartons, etc. It would take me an hour to sort the crap in my blue box even if nothing inside broke nevermind the smorgasbord of stuff that would be in the average truck.
Do some cities in Canada or the US require pre sorting by the homeowner? I know in some other places with advanced recycling programs it is quite regimented in terms of sorting and bundling even before being picked up by recycling.
This whole - just put in the blue box and we will sort it seems a bit too easy to me. The proper sorting of various classes of plastics alone would be a challenge given the poor markings on most products.

[StealthGirl]

Emterra wants the glass in there because it makes the bins heavier. Part of their contract with the city pays them by weight. Saskatoon's recycling is run by Loraas who take plastic bags and wrapping paper (without the request to remove staples/tape). I think there needs to be a serious look at who provides recycling in Regina bc they aren't doing a good job. Anyone know how long the Emterra contract is?

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by Treesplease

How do recycling programs work in other cities? I look inside my blue bin when it is full and it is a mess of glass, tin, cardboard, cartons, etc. It would take me an hour to sort the crap in my blue box even if nothing inside broke nevermind the smorgasbord of stuff that would be in the average truck.
Do some cities in Canada or the US require pre sorting by the homeowner? I know in some other places with advanced recycling programs it is quite regimented in terms of sorting and bundling even before being picked up by recycling.
This whole - just put in the blue box and we will sort it seems a bit too easy to me. The proper sorting of various classes of plastics alone would be a challenge given the poor markings on most products.

Emterra has some sophisticated equipment that can automatically sort tin, aluminum and most paper and hard plastic. Plastic bags are pulled out by hand.

[Drofmab]

Originally Posted by Treesplease

How do recycling programs work in other cities? I look inside my blue bin when it is full and it is a mess of glass, tin, cardboard, cartons, etc. It would take me an hour to sort the crap in my blue box even if nothing inside broke nevermind the smorgasbord of stuff that would be in the average truck.
Do some cities in Canada or the US require pre sorting by the homeowner? I know in some other places with advanced recycling programs it is quite regimented in terms of sorting and bundling even before being picked up by recycling.
This whole - just put in the blue box and we will sort it seems a bit too easy to me. The proper sorting of various classes of plastics alone would be a challenge given the poor markings on most products.

Some cities do require a degree of sorting (e.g.: paper [black box] and everything else [blue box]). But every extra effort you place on the resident will result in some people simply choosing not to recycle. On the flip side, complete lack of sorting will result in contamination & extra costs to sort.

IIRC, Edmonton doesn't require sorting & they have one of the best diversion rates in Canada... and they seem to constantly be looking for new things to divert (e.g.: mattresses)

[Stormer]

this is basically the process Emterra uses in Regina.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9lS_ug5C34

[HomeInMyShoes]

Originally Posted by Treesplease

How do recycling programs work in other cities? I look inside my blue bin when it is full and it is a mess of glass, tin, cardboard, cartons, etc. It would take me an hour to sort the crap in my blue box even if nothing inside broke nevermind the smorgasbord of stuff that would be in the average truck.
Do some cities in Canada or the US require pre sorting by the homeowner? I know in some other places with advanced recycling programs it is quite regimented in terms of sorting and bundling even before being picked up by recycling.
This whole - just put in the blue box and we will sort it seems a bit too easy to me. The proper sorting of various classes of plastics alone would be a challenge given the poor markings on most products.

Go look at the City of Edmonton. They pretty much do everything and it is just all tossed into one bin. No presorting by home owners.

[Drofmab]

Originally Posted by StealthGirl

Emterra wants the glass in there because it makes the bins heavier. Part of their contract with the city pays them by weight. Saskatoon's recycling is run by Loraas who take plastic bags and wrapping paper (without the request to remove staples/tape). I think there needs to be a serious look at who provides recycling in Regina bc they aren't doing a good job. Anyone know how long the Emterra contract is?

Contract ends June 30, 2023, with options for two 1 year extensions (to 2024, and 2025)

Yes, their contract includes weight. But to say they make more if the recycling is heavier oversimplifies the story.

0-15,000Tonnes/yr = $114/tonne
15,001-20,000 = $93
20,001-25,000 = $86
25,001+ = $75
(rates vary based on contamination, but same principle)

So, they get paid less per tonne as the weight of collected material increases. If they're under 15,000tonnes, then yeah - they'd want to bulk up their weight to increase processing fees. But as their diversion increases, they'll have less incentive to collect heavier/less marketable items (such as glass).
(I realize I'm oversimplifying as well - but if glass has no marketable value to them, they don't want glass to be the item that pushes them from 20,000 to 20,001... they'd want easily marketable items to make up the majority of their weight, if they're getting paid less per tonne).

A lot of the stories we're hearing are garbage (pun intended) - other cities recycle materials that Regina & Emterra are claiming to be unrecyclable/of no marketable value. There need to be incentives in the agreement which encourage Emterra to seek out buyers & encourage them to send less to the Landfill (presumably, the fact Emterra has to pay to send materials to the dump is a bit of a disincentive... but it can't the only nudge).

Wrapping paper with tape or staples on it is recyclable, it's just doesn't fetch the same price as other paper... which impacts Emterra's revenue (75% of which they keep, 25% the City gets). So, I suspect Emterra's done the math & realized that it's simply cheaper for them to pay to send this stuff to the Landfill, than to find a buyer.

Similar story with glass, I bet. There's nothing inherently unrecyclable about glass (even if broken) - it simply nets less money than glass sorted by colour, grade, intact, etc. So, Emterra's probably done a cost-benefit & decided that paying to send it to the Landfill is better than marketing it.

[Treesplease]

Originally Posted by Stormer

this is basically the process Emterra uses in Regina.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9lS_ug5C34

Thanks - that answers my questions mostly about the plastics. Machines can sort via optical / infra red and distinguish the different resin types. I can't tell most of the plastics apart by looking at them ie. the HDPEs and have to try find the triangle codes and some aren't even marked or stamped.

[Stormer]

I drove by the Viterra Building restorations yesterday and I must say it is stunning. It would be great if they could have retail or restaurant space on the main floor and the giant display windows really lend themselves to that use. This building was of course originally the Sherwood Department Store so it makes sense it had such windows.

It sure contrasts with its attached tower, Regina's ugliest.

[pappcam]

Originally Posted by Stormer

I drove by the Viterra Building restorations yesterday and I must say it is stunning. It would be great if they could have retail or restaurant space on the main floor and the giant display windows really lend themselves to that use. This building was of course originally the Sherwood Department Store so it makes sense it had such windows.

It sure contrasts with its attached tower, Regina's ugliest.

I think this is uglier:

[BrutallyDishonest2]

Not a chance. The lack of windows makes Viterra te easy winner.


But yes, many of the 70s styling left much to be desired, Grenfell and Victoria Towers for example.

[pappcam]

I don't know . On the Chateau it looks like they were building a parkade and at the last second decided to put a building on top that doesn't even match the parkade.

[BrutallyDishonest2]

Originally Posted by pappcam

I don't know . On the Chateau it looks like they were building a parkade and at the last second decided to put a building on top that doesn't even match the parkade.

It's not pretty, but it looks better from the front elevation.

The fact of Viterra's design and its lack of natural light make it unquestionably the worst office tower in Regina. Unforgivably bad. I'm actually amazed that Pattison MGM takes credit for it.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Viterra is most definitely a prison block.