August 2021
The nature of waste in high-rise communities has changed during COVID.
More package deliveries result in more carboard and packaging material to be disposed of. More meals eaten at home, prepared or delivered, translates to more waste.
The Zero Waste High-Rise Project is an initiative of the Toronto Environmental Alliance in partnership with University of Toronto. They looked at how waste has changed in three buildings during 2020 and identify ways waste collection can be improved.
Garbage is often collected in a waste chute while recycling must be deposited on ground level or below in large bins. Outdoor bins can be more difficult to access in winter and during severe weather so many choose to deposit everything in the waste chute. One solution is to provide recycling stations in convenient indoor areas that can be moved outside when full and transferred to a larger bin.
As more cook at home, cooking oil poured down the drain is a growing problem. Build-up of oil and grease clog drains and cause flooding. Buildings can collect used cooking oil for recycling. One community arranged for an oil drum in the recycling room for collection of oil and free pick-up. Next to it is a shelf of mason jars residents can use to collect and transport their waste oil for deposit into the drum.
Residents repurposing rooms in their home or clearing out unwanted items find other residents can use what would otherwise be disposed. Some communities have a Re-use It Shelf where residents can leave undamaged items for neighbours to take for free.
Learn more about the Toronto Environmental Alliance at www.torontoenvironment.org/highrise_project_join .
