1. Encore Condos at The Met
TSCC 1979
25 Carlton Street

2. About Encore
Encore is a 33-story building, consisting of 334 residential suites including 6 town houses and 3 retail units
Home to approximately 600 residents
Encore residents are primarily first-home buyers, ranging in age from 25 – 45, students and young professionals
Approximately 50% of the building is leased and only ½ of the owners reside in their suites
Building registered in late November 2008
Encore is a new Condominium in the heart of downtown Toronto, located near the corner of Yonge Street and Carlton Street, diagonally opposite from Maple Leaf Gardens. Encore is the 2nd phase of a project know as The Met. Encore condos at The Met is also known as TSCC 1979.
Encore is a 33 Story building, consisting of 334 residential suites including 6 town houses and 3 retail units. It is home to approximately 600 residents. The demographics of the residents are first-home buyers, ranging in age from 25 – 45, students whose parents have purchased units for their children who attend nearby Ryerson University, George Brown College, or University of Toronto medical students. Approximately 50% of the building is leased out so only ½ of the owners actually live in their suites.

3. About Encore Residents
A lot of younger residents
High consumption of take-out or delivery food by many residents
A lot of waste and packaging
On any given night, between food deliveries
Many small suites with tiny kitchenettes do not encourage cooking
As a large population of Encore residents are younger, there is a tendency for them not to cook but rather order delivery such as pizza or take out food from the numerous restaurants in the area. A brief review of the cameras in the lobby of Encore, show that on any given night, between delivery drivers can be seen delivering food.

4. The Waste Removal System
Each floor’s disposal room contains a garbage chute
3 Tri-Sorter buttons at each chute opening
Trash, Recycle and Organic
Under-sink Organic Containers in each suite
City of Toronto Blue Bag in each suite
Under-sink Blue Bin in each disposal room for collection of LCBO bottles
Large clothing bin located in Loading Bay
Additional recycling located in Loading Bay
As Encore is a new condominium that registered at the end of November 2008, the latest in waste- sorting and removal products were installed. Each floor has a garbage chute with three buttons that leads to a tri-sorter that handles garbage, recycling and organic green waste. In addition to the chute on each floor, blue city of Toronto under the sink-style bins have been placed in each disposal room for LCBO bottle collection. Due to the size of the complex, a clothing recycle bin has also been installed in the loading bay and to date, over 4 tonnes of clothing has been collected and donated to charity. During the annual in-suite fire inspection, city of Toronto organic containers were distributed to every suite and instructions on how to use organic disposal were included inside the containers.

5. In Suite Waste Separation
Kitchen Sink
Recycle & Organic Bins
Inexpensive Bag Hangar for reduced Waste
Waste is separated in each suite for easy disposal down the chute

6. Select Organics Button
Organics Compartment
Select Organics Button
No diverter movement
Organic Button lights All Floors
- Door Unlocks quickly
Organic access only All floors
- Waste/Recycle buttons lock-out
When Last Door Closes
System ready for use
-NO Flashing Light delay

7. Organics System Layout

8. Recyclables Selection
RECYCLE BUTTON FLASHES WHEN PRESSED
SELECT RECYCLE BUTTON
Recycle Button lights All floors
- Diverter moves (few seconds!)
- Door Unlocks – use thumb latch
Recycling access only All floors
Organics/Waste buttons lock-out
When Last Door Closes
Ready for next selection
FLASHING LIGHT
DOORS LOCKED OUT

9. Dry Recyclables Bin

10. FLASHING LIGHT GOES OUT
Waste Compactor
FLASHING LIGHT GOES OUT
SELECT WASTE BUTTON
Waste Button lights All floors
- Diverter plate moves
- Door Unlocks – use thumb latch
Waste access only - All floors
Organics/Recycle buttons lock-out
When Last Door Closes
Ready for next selection
FLASHING LIGHT =
DOORS LOCKED OUT

11. Waste Compacted into bin

12. Issues with Waste Minimization
New Building
Many other building concerns are given preference
Performance Audit
Deficiency recovery
Negotiations with Builder
Waste Removal Costs were not a high priority during 1st year budget
As the building is relatively new, there are a lot of issues that are currently being dealt with such as budgets, the performance audit and ongoing negotiations with the builder. That being said, the focus on waste minimization strategies has certainly not been given the attention that is needed. Each disposal room is fitted with both an instruction sheet, informing residents on how to use the chute and the 3 tri sorter buttons. There is also a City of Toronto recycling guide in each room. The garbage chute is programmed to operate from 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM. Oversize garbage, cardboard, pizza boxes etc. can be taken down to a separate recycle room, located in the loading bay of the building.

13. Waste by the Numbers
Prior to Registration, private waste removal in place
Up to 65 Garbage Bins collected each month
Cost of almost $3000 per month
Monthly contract in place for a set amount of bins
An extra fee ($36) applied to each additional bin
Minimal Recycling in place– not a high priority
Before registration, the building had a 95% occupancy rate and recycling and organic had not yet been set up. Moreover, City of Toronto garbage pick-up was as yet unavailable, so 100% of pick up was private and charged for.
The cost for additional waste to be collected through extra lift charges was approximately $ per month on top of the monthly waste removal fee. Prior to registration and the implementation of recycling, up to 65 bins were picked up per month. This number was higher than normal due to not all of the bins being compactable.

14. After Registration Switch to City of Toronto waste removal services
Implementation of Recycling, and then later, Organic waste collection
Substantial reduction in the number of garbage bins picked up – from 65 to 15
Significant increase in the amount of Recycled and Organic waste collected free of charge
Since registration and the implementation of organic and recycling collection, the number of garbage bins collected each month has fallen drastically to between 10 – 15 bins per month and recycling is roughly bins per month. Organic waste is made up of twin bins that connect together and average 8-10 twin bins equaling 4-5 pick ups per month.
Since the implementation of recycling and organic waste into “the system” waste removal costs have gone from almost $ per month using private pick up to less than $ per month using the City of Toronto.

15. Getting the System On-line
Garbage Chute manufacturer contacted to reprogram tri-sorter to provide recycling
Purchase of Organic “Twin Bins”
Contact made with the City of Toronto to add Encore to their organic and recycle collection
Conversion of several compactable bins to non-compactable recycle bins – no fee charged for non-compactable bin

16. Chute Tri Sorter Corner Layout and “Twin Bin”

17. Implementation of “The System”
Organic under-the-sink bins distributed to all units during in-suite fire inspection
Signs posted in each Disposal Room
Notices posted on Recycle Room Door
Information brochures posted in Mail Room and Elevator Notice Boards
City of Toronto Blue Bags distributed to all suites

18. Why Encore? Brand New Building with all the tools to succeed
Currently still incurring large waste removal fees
More focus to be given towards waste minimization strategies
Attitudes and lifestyle habits likely need to change
Waste collection needs to be reduced a further 50% to avoid the city’s garbage levy and to achieve the 70% waste diversion goal
You are probably wondering why a building that is brand new and has all the tools to minimize waste is participating in this panel discussion. The truth of the matter is that although the tools are there, the residents of Encore still have a long way to go in reducing garbage and minimizing their waste disposal and increasing the amount of recycling and organic. For many, this will involve changing lifestyle habits. To reduce the $ per month cost of removing waste, approximately ½ of all garbage bins currently being collected need to be diverted to recycling or organic pick up.