GENERAL COMMITTEE
	TO:	Mayor and Members of Council
	FROM:	Peter Loukes, P.Eng. Director, Construction and Utilities
	PREPARED BY:	Peter Veiga, Supervisor, Waste Management Operations
	DATE OF MEETING:	May 2, 2005
	SUBJECT:	Update - Public Space Recycling Advertising Program

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the report entitled “Update - Public Space Recycling Advertising Program” be received;

AND THAT the Corporate Communications Department assume the role of policy development and coordination of the Town’s advertising space on public space recycling stations;

AND THAT the Town’s advertising space be available for Town initiatives;

AND THAT the Waste Management Department continue to manage the operational requirements of the public space recycling program.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the public space recycling advertising program and to assign the role of policy development and coordination of advertising space to the Corporate Communications Department.

BACKGROUND:

At its meeting of November 27, 2001 Council approved entering into a five year Agreement with Olifas Marketing Group Inc. (OMG) for the provision a public space recycling program. 83 recycling stations have been installed under this Agreement. Advertising could be placed on two sides (faces) of each station for a total of 166 advertising faces.

The Agreement provided the Town with 10% of all available advertising space on the units the first year and then 5% of all available advertising space on the units for the following four years. 5% of all available advertising space is equivalent to the advertising on 4 stations, or space for 8 advertisements.

After the execution of the Agreement, OMG expanded Markham’s 5% advertising allotment to include all unsold advertising space on its recycling stations in Markham. The Town has used the unsold advertising space for various communication programs as described further in this report.

OMG is now EUCAN

OMG was sold to Urban Equipment of Canada (Eucan) in November 2003. Eucan is a subsidiary of Grupo Eumex, an outdoor advertising company based in Mexico. With this sale, all existing OMG contracts and assets became the property of Eucan. On May 28, 2004 Eucan confirmed its commitment to its Agreement with the Town of Markham.

When OMG sold its business to Eucan, it sold its existing inventory of public space recycling stations but not the rights to manufacture and install additional stations. Therefore, no new stations have been installed since November 2003.

Staff has met with Eucan to discuss Eucan’s future plans. Eucan will present its proposed public space recycling program to Markham at a future date.

Advertising Initiatives to Date

The Town has secured the 4 recycling stations in front of the Civic Center as its 5% allotment to control to the advertising content on Civic Centre grounds. In addition to the 5% allotment, unsold advertising spaces on recycling stations throughout the Town have also been used for various communication campaigns. Table 1 lists the campaigns, including timelines, number of advertising faces and locations, which have used the public space recycling stations.

Table 1.

Eucan Advertising Campaigns To Date

TIME	THEME	ADVERTISING FACES	LOCATIONS
Ongoing	“Character Community”	4	Civic Centre
Ongoing	“Character Community”	16	Town-wide
Ongoing	“Your Blue Box Away From Home”	5	Town-wide
Aug/Sept 2004	“Using Too Many Pesticides?”	12	Thornhill
Aug/Sept/Oct 2004	“There’s a New Bin in Town” (Mission Green)	10	Town-wide
Aug/Sept/Oct 2004	“Watching Our Waste Line”	8	Town-wide
Aug/Sept/Oct 2004	“Garbage Today Compost Tomorrow” (Mission Green)	7	3-Stream Phase 1 Area east of Hwy 48
TOTAL FACES		62

The advertisements were designed and produced at an approximate cost of $9,716.50. Table 2 summarizes these costs.

Table 2.

Public Space Recycling Advertising Program Costs

	THEME	LEAD	DESIGN AND PRODUCTION COST
1	“Your Blue Box Away From Home”	Waste Management	$862.50
2	“Character Community”	Corporate Communications	$3,247.50
3	“Using Too Many Pesticides?”	Corporate Communications	$2,050.00
4	“There’s a New Bin in Town” (Mission Green)	Waste Management	$3,556.50
5	“Watching Our Waste Line”	Waste Management
6	“Garbage Today Compost Tomorrow” (Mission Green)	Waste Management
	TOTAL		$9,716.50

DISCUSSION:

To date, the Town’s public space recycling program has been managed by the Waste Management Department. In addition to Waste Management advertising campaigns, the use of advertising spaces has been limited to Corporate Communications for use in its “Character Community” and “Pesticides” campaigns.

Staff recommends that the Corporate Communications Department assume the role of policy development and coordination of advertising spaces on public space recycling stations and that advertising spaces be made available to all Town advertising initiatives. The Waste Management Department will continue to manage the operational requirements of the program.

Future Advertising Initiatives

The 3-Stream Phase 2 communications plan includes advertising on Eucan stations through 2005 and 2006.

Additional campaigns will include Communities in Bloom and other programs as recommended by Corporate Communications.

Staff recommends that advertising on public space recycling stations be available in the communications plan, where applicable, of all Town of Markham initiatives.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

There are no financial considerations with this report.

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

The Corporate Communications Department has reviewed and concur with this report.

Peter Loukes, P.Eng., Director, Operations and Asset Management

Jim Sales, Commissioner of Community and Fire Services

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