A growing number of commercial and institutional buildings now sort their waste materials, given that the deadline in the Quebec government's strategic plan for reducing waste disposal in landfill sites is 2020. Collecting malodorous organic waste involves freeing up space for storing such waste, but not all buildings were designed with that in mind. Short of installing a cold storage room, there are tools and techniques for minimizing potential odours. 

Some entrepreneurs offer a garbage bin exchange service (120 or 240 litres). Rather than emptying the bins during garbage collection, the entrepreneur replaces them with clean, empty bins delivered directly to the building. This is a very practical service for those who lack the space for a container or who are not equipped to wash dirty bins. Odours and the potential presence of vermin are also drastically reduced. 

The fact remains that controlling odours must be a priority for building managers, as it is a key element of an indoor air quality policy. Two technologies are employed to reduce odours: deodorants and ozonation. In the case of deodorants, cartridges are inserted into a distributor that injects a product into the air to camouflage odours. The technique means injecting more volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air, and cartridges must be thrown out and replaced frequently. To offset that problem, an ozone distributor can be installed in the building. Ozone (O ₃) is produced via the ionization of oxygen (O₂), and destroys malodorous molecules in the air by means of oxidation. Ozone generators are low maintenance, produce no harmful by-products and are an effective means of reducing the intensity of odours, without completely eliminating them.

Jean-Michel Champagne, MBA, M. Sc.

Sustainable development coordinator, Infrastructures, Department of Sustainable Development, HEC Montreal. Member of BOMA Quebec's Integrated Technical Management committee.