Emterra Environmental Achieves Milestone Winnipeg Collection Record Topping 99.8%

WINNIPEG (March 31, 2014)—Winnipeg’s garbage, recycling and yard waste collector, Emterra Environmental, achieved a milestone service performance level topping 99.8% in 2013, according to the city’s Comprehensive Integrated Waste Management Strategy (CIWMS) 2013 Annual Report[1].

The report, released at Winnipeg city council last week, noted that Emterra’s garbage and recycling routes totalled about 335,000[2] household pick ups per week which adds up to more than 17.42 million stops over the year. The report also noted that the city recorded 31,500[3] “missed” collections calls from residents. This represents 0.18% of the total which is significantly less than a quarter of one percent.

“Despite having to cope with a record breaking winter that has been a challenge for all Winnipeggers, we’ve still been able to deliver on our service contract better than 99.8% of the time. While we’re the first to say we can improve, at the same time, we’re proud of that record,” said Emterra Winnipeg Division’s Operations Manager, John Sitarek.

The City of Winnipeg recorded another significant milestone in 2013, showing that the single stream recycling cart system and yard waste collection contributed to an increase in waste diversion from landfill of 55% over the previous year. Winnipeggers also set out record tonnages of yard waste materials in 2013, an increase of 17,000 tonnes over the fall collection season the year before, according to the city’s data.

“We’re very excited to see Winnipeggers push the waste diversion needle up and putting the city on a path to achieving its waste diversion goal of 35% by 2016,” said Emterra Group Founder and CEO, Emmie Leung.

Emterra is in the second year of a five-year integrated solid waste collection contract with the city. In addition to collecting garbage and recycling from a rollout cart system introduced in the fall of 2012, Emterra also collects yard waste and bulky items city-wide. Between the recycling facility and the collection program, Emterra employs more than 200 Manitobans. To manage the new contract, Emterra invested in a $23 million upgrade and expansion to its Henry Avenue material recovery facility (MRF) and introduced approximately 60 technologically-advanced, environmentally-friendly collection trucks fuelled by cleaner-burning compressed natural gas (CNG) which cut Green House Gas emissions by up to 20%. It is the largest fleet of CNG trucks in the world operating in an extreme cold winter climate.

“Everyone who operates trucks faced challenges to keep them moving this winter…even snowplows were down. Overall though, our CNG trucks performed as well as our traditional diesel trucks in the extreme cold,” Sitarek said.

To fuel the CNG trucks, Emterra constructed a natural gas refuelling station and a CNG-certified maintenance facility that is the largest in western Canada.

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Contact:

Paulina Leung
Emterra Environmental
Ph. 905-336-9084, ext. 130
Mobile : 416-939-7916
Email : Paulina.Leung@emterra.ca