Tanguay recycles and recovers!

Environmental responsibility

Tanguay promotes the reduction, reuse, recovery and recycling of containers, packaging, materials or products, as well as their valorization in a perspective of resource conservation.

Twice a year, a Green Drive is organized by 1 800 GOT JUNK (1 800 468-5865). The objective of the Green Collection is to collect free of charge obsolete electrical, electronic and computer equipment from the general public. Thanks to this event in collaboration with Tanguay, more than 18 tons of battery-operated or corded devices are treated in an ecological way.

Tanguay's mission is to ensure a responsible management of its residual materials. A green shift has already been underway for some time: while going about their regular activities, a few employees in the delivery department at the Armand-Viau center are working on this recovery operation. Little by little, our company will try to distinguish itself by more and more significant gestures and will solicit the collaboration of all employees.

The packaging

At the end of the work day, our delivery men bring back to the warehouse huge quantities of cardboard boxes used to pack goods delivered to our customers or received from our other branches. They are then compacted in our imposing press which transforms them into bales. The bales are then sent for recycling. In the past, an independent company would come and collect these materials from our warehouse. But for nearly 15 years now, Tanguay has taken complete control of the recycling process by managing these growing quantities of materials itself. To do so, we acquired our first cardboard press, which was replaced by a new, more efficient one about 5 years ago. Only a few trained employees can operate it. This press compacts the cardboard into large blocks of about 1,000 pounds each. It produces about 60 bales per week. During peak periods, the quantity of bales corresponds to almost 2 trailers of 53 feet long per week.

In addition to cardboard, fine paper from office waste is also produced. In fact, fine paper such as writing paper, photocopier paper and printing paper accounts for more than half of the dry solid waste generated in this facility. To dispose of this waste in an environmentally friendly manner, containers are located at various workstations in the Armand-Viau Administrative Centre. The gradual implementation of a pick-up program will encourage stores to become more involved. Recycling bins are placed in many of our stores and we are working to have them all equipped. We encourage all employees to actively participate in this paper and cardboard collection for a healthier planet.

Household appliances

With the purchase of new appliances, Tanguay offers to recover your old appliances for a small fee. Thus, at the same time, we will free you from a bulky object and we participate in the collective effort for the preservation of the environment. Old refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, washers, dryers and stoves will be recycled. As soon as they arrive at our warehouse, their power cables are cut and placed in a container for the recovery of copper. One box per month is collected. These obsolete appliances are then sent to a specialized collector at a rate of one to two 53-foot trailers per day. The collector disassembles them to remove the metals. The recycling potential of household appliances is very interesting: nearly 95% of their components are recyclable.

Steel is the most widely used metal and the most recycled material in the world. Steel recovered from appliances accounts for about 10% of the steel processed by the recycling industry. The average refrigerator contains 55 kg (120 lbs) of steel, while a washer and dryer contains about 45 kg (100 lbs). On average, steel makes up 65% to 75% of the weight of an appliance.

For these reasons, appliances often have a higher recycling potential and recovery rate than other bulky items. In fact, according to the 2006 Quebec Residual Materials Management Report, household appliances represent 26% of the weight of residual materials recovered in the municipal sector.

Tanguay is proud to be the first retailer in Canada to become a Frigo Responsable. Last year, we succeeded in recovering more than 10 800 tons of CO2 equivalent. We apply ourselves to make the optimal management for all the cold appliances. See the video.

Electronic and computer products

In recent years, the quantity of electronic and computer products at the end of their useful life has been increasing rapidly, in particular due to their increasing use, shorter life span and lower purchase cost. This increases the amount of product that needs to be disposed of.

Our e-waste is a significant problem, with 59% ending up in landfills. Each year 140,000 tonnes of cell phones, computers, scanners, printers, televisions and fax machines end up in Canadian landfills.

Currently, only 6% of electronic and computer equipment is recycled in Quebec. The rest is either thrown away or sent by container to India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria to be disassembled. The recovery of these devices is all the more important as they contain heavy and dangerous metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury as well as precious metals such as gold and copper. Recovering them allows us to avoid soil contamination or simply to reuse them.

For the moment, in Quebec, it is up to individuals to decide whether or not to return their electronic equipment to one of the recovery-recycling plants located in the province or to certain manufacturers (IBM, Canon and HP, for example). However, there is a market for this type of equipment since, according to Recyc-Québec, 80% of computer and electronic parts are recyclable or reusable.

The workshops at the Centre de service Armand-Viau recover unusable circuits and metal casings from devices that we need to dispose of. On average, 2 pallets per week of end-of-life electronic and computer equipment are recovered and sent to a metal recovery facility. Quebec has already begun to think about recycling electronic equipment. Perhaps it will be inspired by Europe, which has adopted a directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment that obliges manufacturers to finance the entire recovery process, from the collection of used equipment from distributors and local waste collection centres to incineration.

Shoreline clean-ups often reveal the existence of clandestine dumps scattered throughout Quebec. The old electrical, electronic and computer equipment abandoned on these sites represent a real environmental problem since they alter the quality of water, soil and landscape.

The batteries

The ever-increasing number of portable devices and electronic products is rapidly increasing the demand for batteries. In addition, the need for a mobile power source in the event of a snowstorm, ice storm or power outage is also fueling the demand for all types of batteries and portable power sources. The Canadian Home Battery Association estimates that approximately 48 million batteries are sold in Quebec each year. Unfortunately, most consumers discard them after use.

The consequence of such behaviour? Household batteries are responsible for 50% to 70% of all the heavy metals that end up in landfills. To limit their impact on the environment, the solution is to recover them.

When we consider the toxic elements contained in these products, we wonder about their low recovery and recycling rate. In 2004, Canada landfilled :

• 765.8 tonnes of lead;
• 0.4 tonnes of mercury;
• 234.7 tonnes of cadmium;
• 386.4 tonnes of nickel;
• 1673.9 tonnes of zinc;

To give a better idea of the risks posed by the contaminants in batteries, let's take the example of mercury: a single gram can contaminate an eight-hectare (800 m2) lake. The mercury in the water accumulates in the flesh of fish, contaminating the food chain. This is a major problem since it can harm the brain, liver and kidneys of those who eat it. Mercury is particularly harmful to children as it can also cause developmental problems.

Faced with these facts, we can only have a sense of responsibility for our environment and our health. At Tanguay, the electronic and computer services departments of the Armand-Viau center pay particular attention to the disposal of batteries of all kinds. This is why we collaborate with a specialized company that recovers them for proper disposal. The recovery process is still in its early stages, but it is being implemented in all our branches.

The plastic materials

We have already mentioned that cardboard waste from packaging is a significant amount of recyclable material and that paper represents the largest proportion of dry solid waste generated in an office. But let's not forget that packaging is also made of plastic.

Different types of plastic are used depending on what is being packaged. Some examples are: thin, stretchy plastic film (cellophane type) used to secure items on shipping pallets; bubble wrap used to protect the finish of appliances and furniture; thicker polyethylene used to protect mattresses, sofas and some appliances. These plastic scraps come from deliveries and various pick-up points in service departments and stores. Very large quantities are used and recycled each week.

A press located at the Armand-Viau distribution center warehouse compacts these different plastics into bales weighing from 800 to 1,000 pounds each. The production of this press reaches up to 5 bales per week. Each year, more than 200,000 pounds of plastic are recovered by a specialized center that recycles them into various products, including office accessories.

It is important to note that our company has also taken the initiative to have its new packaging bags made of recyclable plastic. With all of the recycling efforts made by our company, all of our staff is aware of the need to use our multiple bins from our internal collection system. Recycling is not only beneficial for the environment, it is also beneficial for the economy. Indeed, recovery and recycling contribute to the evolution of a flourishing industry that creates seven times more jobs than disposal.

Styrofoam

Styrofoam, also known as polystyrene foam or styrofoam, is easily identified by its whiteness and lightness (it is 98% air). This material is mainly used for packaging and as thermal insulation in the construction industry. It is also used in the automotive and pharmaceutical industries and in various medical applications.

Among its main advantages are the following:

• Non-toxic and non-carcinogenic;
• Contains very little oil or natural gas;
• Reusable;
• Mechanical strength not affected by humidity;
• Waterproof and dustproof;
• Excellent quality/price ratio.
• To give Styrofoam a second life, it must first be collected, decontaminated and granulated. It takes about 40 minutes to turn a coffee cup made from Styrofoam into a granulated resin that can be used to make another product. These processes require special, expensive facilities. In addition, some of the advantages of Styrofoam are paradoxically major difficulties when it comes time to recycle it.

For example, recyclers have little interest in transporting this material to their facilities because of its light weight, with trucks carrying air. The difficulty in breaking even is the reason why so little is recycled. Nevertheless, although it is very light, it takes up a lot of space in landfills and it takes a few hundred years to decompose. The Polystyrene Recycling Association of Canada is the only company that recycles polystyrene foam and is located in Mississauga, Ontario.

To date, our company's alternative is to completely replace Styrofoam packaging with paper or polyethylene packaging, as these materials are more easily recyclable.

Well thought-out trucks.

FMZ devices to save fuel

We have installed FMZ (Fuel MaximiZer) devices in some trucks. These devices limit in real time the engine power available to the driver according to the load being transported, thus allowing fuel savings of up to 10%.

Transtex aerodynamic skirts

We have installed aerodynamic side skirts on several trailers to reduce fuel consumption by over 7%.

The advantages of synthetic oil

The use of synthetic oil has several advantages, including:

• A decrease in the frequency of oil changes;
• Better oil quality for the engine;
• Reduced maintenance costs;
• Fewer oil filters are needed;
• Less used oil.

We are not idling!

Except during the very cold winter months, the engines of our trucks that are not running are shut down after 5 minutes. The purpose of this measure is to reduce the amount of time the engine is idling.

Wabasto TSL17 cabin heater

We have installed cab heaters in some of our trucks so that the engine does not idle.

Purchase of smaller trucks

We bought smaller trucks with 22 foot boxes instead of 26 foot boxes.

Hybrid car

The administrative center Tanguay has recently acquired a new type of service vehicle. It is a hybrid car model Prius 2009 from Toyota. This model had been tested on lease and the decision to buy it was made. This vehicle is used intensively by our commissionaire.

This car is fully hybrid because it operates in three distinct modes: gasoline only, electricity only and a combination of both. It generates up to 70% less smog-producing emissions while being fuel efficient without sacrificing power and performance.

Here are some of the features:

• V-shaped roof profile for smoother airflow;
• State-of-the-art on-board computer that continuously optimizes fuel consumption;
• Automatically gives priority to the electric motor whenever possible;
• 4-cylinder, 1.5-liter gasoline engine;
• No need for an electrical connection because braking generates a recharge to the battery;
• Fuel consumption of 4.1 liters per 100 km;
• Tire pressure monitoring system;
• Aluminum hood and tailgate (lighter);
• Less emissions and pollutants...;
• More kilometers with less fuel.;

Cost reduction for transportation

We use road trains for our specific routes during the periods established by the SAAQ.
Reduction of costs: personnel, greenhouse gases, diesel and equipment.

Acquisition of a software (weight and dimension)

With the help of the robotics and industrial vision center, we have developed a software that allows us to improve the logistics of the truck.

Advantage: By having the dimension and weight of each waybill we are now able to choose the right truck. This allows us to save fuel.

Future project

Purchase of a natural gas truck or tractor. At the moment we are studying the particularities of this product. The advantages would be among others the lower price than diesel, and the CO2 emission of 25%.

We are making all these efforts because we care about the environment!