Waste Reduction through Three-Stream Curbside Collection

The Cowichan Valley population is expected to grow to over 100,000 by the year 2040. To reduce the amount of material shipped to the landfill, the regional Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP) identified the need to provide all residents with equal access to three-stream (organics, recycling and garbage) curbside collection.

Reducing garbage disposal is important as the Cowichan Valley does not have a local landfill, and landfill capacity is limited on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. Garbage from the Cowichan Valley is transported via truck, barge and rail service more than 700km to a landfill in Washington State. Long-distance transportation of waste materials is becoming increasingly expensive and difficult due to the floods and fires associated with climate change.

Three-stream curbside collection is the separation of household waste into three categories: organics, recycling and garbage.

What We Learned from the Community in Phase 1 (Spring 2022)

In May 2022, the CVRD launched the three-stream curbside collection Phase 1 community engagement process. The goal of Phase 1 engagement was to listen and learn from the community about priorities, concerns, and preferences for implementing a three-stream curbside collection service.

In Phase 1 engagement, we learned from the community that:

1. There is overall support for three-stream curbside collection service in the CVRD Electoral Areas. Residents see this service as a benefit to their household and the larger community.
2. Continued education is needed to support the implementation plan.

3. There are concerns about service and delivery costs, with an acknowledgment that creative solutions are needed to keep costs manageable.

4. Reducing the amount of waste being sent to the landfill is critical, as is offering convenient waste disposal services.
   
   
5. Residents want to understand what can be done to minimize conflict with wildlife and support the local economy by working with local waste management companies.

The community expressed a desire to expand the curbside program to include other materials such as glass and yard waste. There was also an acknowledgement of urban and rural residents' diverse waste management service needs.

Phase 2 of Engagement April 24 - May 19

Phase 2 of community engagement was focused on sharing the two service options for curbside collection. The goal of this phase of engagement was to better understand the preferred options for curbside collection and why community members prefer one option over another. The feedback will be used to help refine the service options for CVRD Board for approval.

We will be reporting back soon on the feedback we received from the community. Hit the Stay Informed (see the top right of the page) button to stay connected and learn about the next steps.

Options for Curbside Collection Service

Project Timeline