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The COVID-19 global pandemic has disrupted economies around the world, and rural Canada is no exception. In this paper, we explore the economic development impacts of the pandemic on rural communities across Canada. We seek to provide a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of how rural communities have responded to this crisis and the extent to which they are able to build long-term rural resilience through their responses and plans for recovery. To do so, we draw upon novel data derived from a survey of rural economic development practitioners from across Canada. Our findings are structured around three main themes: economic development and business impacts, economic development responses, and resources needed for recovery. The study highlights the geographic unevenness of impacts, responses, and resource needs to address the challenges introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, our research underscores the importance of capacity and context as rural economic development practitioners and other rural leaders have responded to these challenges. Finally, this research provides important insights into the tools and strategies that could build long-term rural resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the relationship between urban design and household recycling practices in Canadian cities. A growing body of research links urban design with residents’ transportation behaviour, such as rates of driving and use of public transportation. However, the effect of urban design on other forms of environmentally sustainable behaviour has not been as widely explored. Recycling is an important aspect of sustainability and the recycling activities of urban residents require further attention. We examine the relationship between urban design and recycling practices at the census metropolitan area (CMA) level in Canada using aggregated data merged from three secondary sources: the 2005–2006 Household and the Environment Survey conducted by Statistics Canada; the 2006 Census; and Gordon and Shirokoff ’s (2014) classification of Canada’s urban neighbourhoods. The results demonstrate that there is a significant relationship between urban development patterns and household recycling practices at the CMA-level, when controlling for demographic factors. We conclude that urban design is related to residents’ sustainability behaviours in multiple, complex ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The case of a large toxic fire occurring at the Plastimet plastics recycling facility in Hamilton. Ontario is used as an empirical referent to investigate the structural origins involved in the incubation of a technological disaster. Hamilton is known as the "recycling center of Canada," and this paper examines the role of the broader socio-historical forces that led to this development and then relates this to the general issue of how specialized communities with a narrow economic base may become particularly vulnerable to the onset of technological disasters. As such, a political economy of place is developed to help understand how historically based regulatory, industrial, political, economic and social processes may interact in a complex manner to produce devastating results. Specifically, this paper identifies and discusses several particularly important features involved in disaster incubation, including: (i) a lax regulatory and enforcement framework related to land use, as well as, building and property codes at the local level: (ii) a legal loophole in the regulatory policy that governs materials recycling: (iii) the market dynamics of materials recycling: (iv) the transformation of spatial fix; and most notably, (v) the deviant industrial practice of "sham recycling." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The usage of recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) in hot mix asphalt (HMA) pavements provides many benefits as long as they are properly engineered into the various HMA mixes. Contractors, consultants, and Departments of Transportation have evaluated the performance of these various materials, although they are still only used in a limited number of areas. Alternatively, recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) is recognized as a high value recycled material and is actually the most recycled material in North America. In Ontario, RAP is successfully used in most HMA. Related studies on HMA containing RAS and RAP are limited in Canada although recently studies and field trials on effectively using RAS in HMA in Ontario have been completed by the Centre of Pavement and Transportation Technology (CPATT) at University of Waterloo in partnership with Miller Paving Ltd and the Ontario Centre of Excellence. This paper presents key findings from a comprehensive laboratory investigation and analysis of six asphalt mixes with RAS and RAP in Ontario through dynamic modulus, resilient modulus, thermal stress restrained specimen, and flexural fatigue testing. Using RAS alone or combining with RAP makes the asphalt stiffer at high and low temperatures respectively. Lowering the low temperature performance grade of the asphalt binder by 6 °C and incorporating 3% RAS or less with RAP in HMA mix design can result in meeting the appropriate specification. While field testing of RAS pavements demonstrated that surface friction properties are in good condition in various environmental and loading conditions, the laboratory test results and field performances indicate that RAS can be a useful additive to asphalt mixes in Ontario hot mix pavement through reasonable mix design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing interest in reuse and recycling in the Canadian construction industry. This interest is driven partly by the recent adoption in Canada of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building Rating System and partly by a greater general awareness of environmental issues. Designers are beginning to look at how to incorporate reused steel components into construction projects, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions by saving on primary steel production. However, although some designers are willing to redesign their projects to make use of available reclaimed structural steel components, it is often difficult to identify suitable materials in the local area at the appropriate time in the life of a project. A limiting factor is that designers, construction companies, and others perceive a lack of a well-established and easily available mechanism for exchange of reclaimed components. This paper reviews the issues that are relevant to increasing recycling and reuse in construction and focuses on examples that illustrate the benefits that steel can bring to sustainable construction. In particular, it discusses the issues relevant to designing to enable future disassembly and the way in which steel components can be readily reused. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, in Ontario, Canada, around 21.7% of the total hazardous waste (HZW) collected by municipalities is waste paint. Waste latex paint (WLP) alone constitutes 12% of the total HZW. It is estimated that only 10–30% of this waste is presently being collected but this proportion is growing with public education efforts. In addition, due to increasingly more stringent environmental regulations on volatile organic compounds (VOCs), more latex-based paints will be produced compared to solvent- and oil-based alkyds. This will result in more WLP being generated annually in Ontario and across North America. The disposal cost of such waste currently varies between Can$0.90 and Can$1.40 per litre. This study was conducted in collaboration with the City of London, Ontario and the Ontario Paints and Coatings Association and aims at investigating the benefits of recycling WLP in concrete with a special focus on concrete sidewalks. WLP was used in concrete mixtures both as a partial replacement for virgin latex and for mixing water. This paper demonstrates that concrete mixtures incorporating WLP can have improved workability, higher flexural strength, lower chloride ion penetrability, better resistance to deicing salt surface scaling and can be more economic because they require less water-reducing and air-entraining admixtures. The results also indicate that the annual urban concrete sidewalk construction could use the yearly production of WLP while producing sidewalks with enhanced properties and durability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The significant e-waste generation in the Americas represents an important opportunity to implement waste recovery systems under the Circular Economy model. This paper conducts an exploratory analysis about the e-waste management at different scales (economic blocs and country levels) in the American continent, emphasizing generation patterns, e-waste fluxes and the regulation frameworks in Brazil and Canada in order to identify how the e-waste management options are driven by specific legal, economic, and environmental criteria. The methodology includes a review of literature covering information and indicators for both quantitative and qualitative analysis and comparison between selected countries regarding positive and negative aspects of e-waste management systems in each jurisdiction. The finds suggest that although Brazil and Canada have differentiated scope of regulation, both ratified the Basel Convention, have an action agenda that seeks to prioritize the management of hazardous substances, as well as lack of harmonized regulation, low control of the e-waste illegal trade and traceability. The identification of e-waste flows and comparison of economic blocs and countries is a still little explored theme and emphasizes the need for adequate legal measures to implement circular economy strategies to avoid impacts and enhance the value recovery of these materials in the production chain. Doing so could support harmonized regulation, new business models and increase sustainability levels for citizens through solutions that integrate policies and practices between and within economic blocs. [Display omitted] • The Americas play an important role for the e-waste management in volume and potential trade routes. • E-waste generation and GDP are directly correlated in MERCOSUR and NAFTA countries. • USA has a different pattern from NAFTA countries and Mexico has a similar pattern to South America. • Brazil and Canada have low e-waste collection and recycling rates, besides illegal e-waste trades, even as Basel Convention parties. • Upstream impacts can be mitigated by e-waste material recovery and efficient circular flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses a two-stage stochastic model for eco-efficient reverse logistics network design (RLND). The goal of this optimization model is to maximize the expected profit and minimize landfilling activities to give more incentive for materials recycling. The model considers a source separation option that allows the separation of the collected materials at an early stage of the reverse logistics channel. The quantity of waste generated and the recycling rates at the collection centers are uncertain due to the variable quality of the collected batches. We solved the model using the combination of a Sampling Average Approximation procedure and the ε-constraint method. An application is illustrated through the case study of wood waste recycling from the construction, renovation, and demolition (CRD) industry in the province of Quebec in Canada. This research reveals that the source separation strategy provides better control of the impact of uncertainties, not only for the economic performance but also from an environmental perspective. The results highlight the necessity to evaluate the interaction between environmental policies to avoid conflicting objectives. Finally, the case study demonstrates the complexity of the reverse logistics network in the CRD industry and the challenge to achieve eco-efficiency under uncertainty. • A multi-objective stochastic model for reverse logistics network design is proposed. • The impact of the uncertain quality of the recycled materials is highlighted. • The proposed model evaluates the benefits of the recycled materials source-separation. • GHG emissions accounting is performed to comply with environmental regulations. • A case study targeting the recycled wood from the CRD* industry is proposed in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]