Filling in the GAP through Consensus
Canadians face a challenge in establishing consistent concepts and definitions to be used in the waste management area, according to a 1996 Statistics Canada Report. The continuing difficulty lies in classifying types of waste.
In October 1999, CSR: Corporations Supporting Recycling, announced its intention to form a national task force to establish a standard method to measure waste diversion. Is this important? There are a number of considerations that Glassworks would like its readers to contemplate.
NaPP Protocol
The National Packaging Protocol, NaPP, established a 50% waste diversion goal for the year 2000, which Canadians met four years ahead of schedule. NaPP targets were developed by a multi-stakeholder group, which used a consensus process. Statistics Canada conducted the surveys and reported the results. However, not all stakeholders embraced the outcome. Without the benefit of consistency in definitions, some stakeholders questioned the validity of the surveys; they did not perceive the results to be based on an "apples to apples" comparison.
Consistent approach
As has been demonstrated repeatedly in the quality management process, "what gets measured, gets managed." Without a consistent measuring approach, will Canada be able to know whether or not it is really managing its waste as efficiently and cost effectively as possible? If it doesn't, is this a problem? Some would argue that Canada cannot become a sustainable country without this. As one observer stated, "if I were to assume a traditional scrap dealer's mentality, I would promote the continuation of inconsistency. As long as one municipality differs from the next in what it has to offer, they will not know its true value, and I can capitalize on that gap."
The GAP
The process led by CSR is to be based on the experience of GAAP - generally accepted accounting principles, renamed GAP for this application. Stakeholders in the process consist of representatives from St. John's to Victoria and include municipal, provincial and federal governments, provincial stewardship and environmental organizations and industry.
Is this a sound approach? Will using GAP wring the vital signs out of the numbers Canada needs to report its progress? GAAP principles include both accounting methods and disclosure practices. The analogy to GAAP may be a good one because through GAP Canada can set rules, which still allow elasticity within boundaries based on the over-riding rule of consistency. Why is consistency an issue, especially when municipalities are concerned with the great variance they feel makes their own programmes unique?
There is no question that there are variances. As an example, some areas experience a high influx of transient populations - called tourists. Not only will the impact of tourists make some numbers unpredictable, their recycling behaviour may not be consistent with the locals who may show a higher commitment to using the blue box (bag or depot).
Consensus process
Glassworks would suggest that unless Canadians can realize that this challenge is a serious barrier to improvement, it will be unable to achieve its reporting goals or sustainability. Glassworks commends CSR for facilitating this effort to establish national standards for waste measurement and consistency in terms. Without knowing what it means, from one town to the next, when we say "we recycle" how can we as a nation improve to waste less? Think about it.
Perhaps, what is most important in this effort is the development of standards by a consensus process. When international standards are set for quality or for environmental management, it is the process of dialogue and agreement that makes the concept or idea a standard. Consensus means substantial agreement, and it implies much more than a simple majority, but not necessarily unanimity.
Consensus process - the development and approval procedures followed in order to achieve consensus. This process includes applying the following four principles to achieving consensus --
1. Inclusive, not exclusive, participation
2. Respect for diverse interests
3. Accountability, and,
4. Consensus achievement
Source: CSA Directives and Guidelines governing standardization
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