Many Metro Vancouver hospitality business operators have been making great strides towards more environmentally sustainable operations.
Progressive hospitality operators are reducing power usage, saving water and adding recycling programs in an effort to reduce their environmental footprint.
For hospitality operators in Metro Vancouver, there is about to be a shift in the area of recycling from a "It's nice to do if we have time, space and motivation" business mentality to a "We got a violation notice and are going to get fined" business necessity.
With the upcoming 2015 Metro Vancouver organic/food waste ban and the spring 2014 launch of the Multi Materials British Columbia (MMBC) packaging recycling program, the regulatory landscape is about to change significantly.
A shift is occurring away from the current business environment where recycling programs are often seen as optional, embraced by certain operators but eschewed by many.
The new reality is that regulations will govern many aspects of waste disposal/recycling and compliance will be mandatory.
What does increased recycling regulation mean for hospitality operators? Operators should become educated about the regulations, determine if they apply to their operations and then develop a strategy for compliance.
In some cases the process may be relatively painless; in other situations compliance may mean new equipment, facility modifications and capital investment.
As with any new regulation, we should be prepared for a learning curve for both the regulators and the business operators.
Being proactive when it comes to recycling regulations has some perks. As anyone who has implemented a recycling program can tell you, it takes some time to make a successful program happen.
Training, convincing and cajoling your employees, co-workers and managers takes some time. Even the best-thought-out recycling program can run into some unexpected hiccups: trucks don't fit into loading docks, bins are too big/too small, signage isn't clear, etc.
The time gap from launching a recycling program to having a smoothly running system can be anywhere from a day to several months.
I have seen a wide spectrum of hospitality clients who are at all stages of the recycling program spectrum. Some clients, such as Fairmont Hotels, implemented food waste recycling programs more than 10 years ago and have long ago worked out any hurdles in their operations.
The upcoming 2015 Metro Vancouver organic/food waste ban will not cause a ripple in their everyday operations. Other clients have decided not to wait until the regulation deadlines and are rolling out recycling programs now to avoid being in non-compliance in the future.
However, many businesses have chosen to take the approach that they will wait until they are issued a violation notice and then take action.
This strategy can result in negative consequences, including additional operating expenses, damage to the reputation of the business in the marketplace and hefty fines.
To encourage businesses to divert food waste, Metro Vancouver has set the 2014 tipping fee for organic/food waste at $65 per tonne, while the cost to send the same materials for disposal will cost $108 per tonne.
Essentially this means that if a business chooses not to implement an organic/food waste recycling program, the business will pay a hefty 66% more to take out the trash compared with a business that is in compliance.
In the event that fines or penalties are levied on a business for non-compliance there is often more than just a financial penalty. The media attention that often accompanies such an event can be just as damaging.
In 2009, the energy drink manufacturer Red Bull was fined $448,000 for non- compliance with packaging recycling regulations in the U.K.
More damaging than the financial penalty was the headline that appeared in major media outlets across Europe. Red Bull was forced to do damage control and risked damage to its very valuable brand image.
If you're in the hospitality industry, now is the time to get acquainted with the MMBC regulations (www.multimaterialbc.ca) and the Metro Vancouver 2015 organics ban (www.metrovancouver.org). Talk to your existing recycling service providers or enlist the services of a recycling consultant to get a your plan together.
With a little bit of work now, hospitality operators can avoid higher costs, public relations nightmares and non-compliance fines. •
