Multi-residential Building Design for Waste Management – Ontario

Across Ontario, as well as across Canada, municipalities are experiencing an increase in construction of medium and high density multi-residential buildings. The new construction of multi-residential buildings leads to growing concerns about effective site designs for garbage, recycling and organics collection systems for these new buildings. This presents operational ongoing challenges for diverting from landfill the residential solid waste generated in the multi-residential sector.

Dillon was retained by the Continuous Improvement Fund to conduct a 2024 study that compiled current and evolving issues around the design of waste collection systems in high-density residential buildings and provide recommendations for potential design guideline improvement and standardization via:

• Legislative changes to the Ontario Building Code (OBC) and Planning Act;
• Policies that could be implemented at municipal, regional, or provincial levels; and
• Standard clauses that can be included in municipal development guidelines and manuals.

Dillon consulted with waste management staff in selected municipalities experiencing growth of medium to high density new multi-residential buildings, as well as selected industry experts to understand their challenges and issues. We then reviewed previous studies, guidelines and technical reports to determine past recommendations that could be modified and improved. Dillon identified additional changes needed in design guidelines and those that may be relevant to provincial regulations such as the Ontario Building Code, the municipal Planning Act and other related legislation. Dillon identified policies that could be implemented municipally or provincially to improve multi waste stream collection systems as it relates to the planning and design stage for new developments. We then determined best practices for standard clauses that may be incorporated into municipal development guidelines and specifications to be applied in proposed site plans.

How Does the Project Support Recycling and Sustainability?

Historically, single garbage chutes and limited recycling storage in multi-residential buildings have discouraged waste diversion among tenants. Initially, all garbage was collected in a common receptacle before recycling programs existed. The convenience of using a single chute on each floor, compared to traveling to a waste room or outdoor area to sort recyclables and organics, has contributed to low recycling rates and the absence of organics programs in many buildings. Tri-sorter equipment, designed to enable three-stream sorting through a single chute, was introduced as a solution but has faced challenges such as maintenance issues, safety concerns, high contamination levels in recycling, and tenant complaints. Consequently, many buildings still lack organic programs today..

This study underscores the need for standardized, comprehensive guidelines to address the ongoing design challenges in the multi-residential waste management across Canada. Legislative amendments, policy enhancements, and detailed municipal guidelines are essential steps toward improving waste diversion rates and creating sustainable urban communities. Recycling and waste diversion performance can be enhanced when convenience is not a barrier. Improved design standards are a key supporting tool, along with promotion and education within the buildings, in setting up these new buildings for success with respect to recycling and long term sustainability for the lifespan of the building.

Project Partner: Continuous Improvement Fund
Business Unit: Waste Management
Service Offering: Advisory Services