RDN requiring all properties – including commercial and Multi-Family – to have three-stream waste diversion starting Jan 2025

Derek Kilbourn

Sounder News

The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) is introducing a new waste diversion bylaw for all commercial, institutional, industrial and multi-family buildings throughout the region in January 2025.

This new bylaw will apply to buildings with all parts of the Regional District of Nanaimo, including Gabriola, Mudge, and Decourcy islands.

The Mandatory Waste Source Separation (MWSS) bylaw will require all waste generators to have separate or partitioned containers to sort garbage, recycling and organics.

The RDN will not be offering collection of the three streams through the RDN waste collection service.

It will be the responsibility of property owners and managers to coordinate the collection and proper management of separated waste with their waste collection service provider.

Ben Routledge, Manager, Solid Waste Services said via email that private waste haulers, across the RDN, already provide three stream collection options.

Currently, commercial and multi-family sectors are not required to engage in waste diversion practices. The intent of MWSS is to compel the commercial and multi-family sectors, those areas not serviced by RDN Curbside, to participate in the three-stream waste diversion program (garbage, recycling, organics), there-by increasing waste diversion.

The RDN will provide support and guidance but will not offer service to the ICI and multi-family sectors, directly.

Routledge said he had spoken to three local haulers about the collection of organics collection, “all of whom confirmed that if the business of organics collection was there, they would provide the service.

“The problem is the business is not currently there as very few outside of the single-family residential sector are voluntarily separating organics, recyclables, and garbage.

The result of this is recyclables and organics end up in garbage containers, destined for the landfill, because it is the only option available.”

He added the new bylaw compels all sectors to participate in the three-bin system, while the Waste Hauler Licensing Bylaw financially incentivizes waste haulers to participate in the diversion efforts compelled by MWSS.

“Through WHL, waste haulers will receive discounted tipping fees for compliant loads that don’t contain above the allowable limit of recyclable or organic material. If their loads do contain over the allowable limit of organics or recyclables, a surcharge that removes any financial incentive is applied.

“Working together these bylaws create a new waste model where recycling and organic diversion must be practiced by everyone, while also financially incentivizing waste diversion for waste haulers.

On January 1, 2025, these programs will come into force, at that point the business of recycling and organics diversion will be present in all areas of the RDN, and the service will follow.”

While the bylaw does not come into effect until early 2025, the RDN says work is starting now to help people prepare for this change.

Ben Geselbracht, RDN Director and Solid Waste Select Committee Chair said, “The Mandatory Waste Source Separation bylaw is an important next step for the Regional District of Nanaimo’s goal of achieving 90 per cent waste diversion from the landfill.

“Extending the three-stream waste diversion program to all properties in the RDN will help bridge the gap between the current 67 per cent diversion rate and our goal.”

The MWSS bylaw, like the program already in place for single-family residences, will apply to all properties across the RDN which includes Electoral Areas A, B, C, E, F, G and H, the City of Nanaimo, District of Lantzville, City of Parksville and Town of Qualicum Beach.

Properties impacted by the Waste Source Separation bylaw include:

• Island Health facilities/medical clinics

• School districts and Vancouver Island University

• Municipal facilities

• Hotels, motels and other similar accommodations

• Restaurants and other food service businesses

• Office buildings

• Condominiums and apartments

RDN staff say there is community engagement planned for this fall, including public meetings, presentations and informational mailouts.

More information will be made available on the RDN Get Involved web site at getinvolved.rdn.ca/waste-separation.