Reduce and Reuse Strategies

STRATEGY #1: Continue and enhance education programs

• Ensure ongoing, up-to-date promotion and education resources to enable effective participation in CRD programs and initiatives
• Incorporate behaviour change components wherever possible (e.g., community-based social marketing); using a variety of education and communication strategies and tools, including digital marketing tools (e.g., social media)
• Expand education programs to multi-family and ICI (industrial, commercial and institutional) sector
• Enhance K-12 school program to include concepts of circular economy
• Collaborate with stakeholders on education campaigns, (e.g., local governments, product stewards)
• Continue supporting environmental stewardship recognition
• Continue to engage residents on solid waste matters; using the appropriate level of consultation

STRATEGY #2: Encourage waste prevention

• Promote less consumption and advocate for consumer responsibility
• Establish a community-based waste reduction grant program (could include food waste prevention projects)
• Support single-use item reduction efforts
• Promote sustainable and/or packaging-free purchasing options
• Advocate provincially and federally to limit or eliminate the manufacturing, distribution or sale of single use items and non-recyclable materials
• Advocate provincially and federally for sustainable design (e.g., standardized packaging that is reusable, recyclable, or compostable)

STRATEGY #3: Support reduction of avoidable food waste

• Support residential food waste reduction, for example, by continuing “Love Food Hate Waste Canada” program
• Support food waste reduction from industrial, commercial and institutional facilities (e.g., encourage stores to donate edible food
• Continue to support food recovery organizations
• Advocate for regulation to clarify use-by versus best before dates and educate accordingly

STRATEGY #4: Support reuse activities in the region

• Continue to provide funding to non-profits to help offset garbage tipping fees for unusable donated items
• Continue to support and promote donations to reuse establishments
• Support reuse, renting and sharing programs, such as tool libraries, repair cafes, and sewing hubs, and other materials exchange activities
• Investigate free store at Hartland Landfill or other facilities

STRATEGY #5: Support local governments in working towards zero waste and a circular economy

• Develop model language for bylaws, best practices, official community plans, and economic development strategies for use by local municipalities using research and collaboration to guide this process
• Work with local municipalities to identify the need for solid waste facilities and zoning for waste management activities
• Use policy tools to enable local recycling infrastructure
• Investigate “Pay-As-You-Throw” principles to use as tools to encourage less waste disposal
• Investigate use of clear bags for garbage or recyclables collection to encourage proper recycling of materials, where practicable and enforceable (e.g., at events)

STRATEGY #6: Continue and enhance policy development

• Develop model procurement policies for use by local governments, non-profits, etc.
• Continue to expand material bans when viable alternatives exist
• Investigate licensing waste management facilities in the region to encourage transparency, consistency, and a requirement that all facilities protect public health and the environment
• Investigate regulatory mechanisms to manage municipal solid waste and recyclable materials in the region
• Investigate options for debris from extreme weather (e.g., community chipping days or special burning allowances in electoral areas)

Recycle Strategies

STRATEGY #7: Increase residential diversion

• Continue to promote diversion of recyclable materials (including organics), ensuring that education strives to minimize contamination in these streams
• Collaborate with municipal and private sector service providers to support depot diversion efforts in the region for non curbside materials
• Encourage local processing and markets for recyclables
• Develop tools, such as a guide, to support event recycling

STRATEGY #8: Increase multi-family diversion

• Allocate resources to support multi-family recycling (e.g., by developing standardized education materials)
• Work with local governments and private sector service providers to develop waste source separation requirements
• Develop policy guide for recycling, composting and garbage space and access in multi-family developments
• Collaborate with stakeholders (e.g., private haulers or property managers) to implement support for recycling, such as a ”Train-the-Trainer” program

STRATEGY #9: Increase diversion from Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) Facilities

• Allocate resources to increase ICI diversion, for example, a business waste reduction liaison
• Advocate to expand the packaging and paper product Extended Producer Responsibility program to the ICI sector
• Create a business waste reduction toolkit, including education about how to apply circular economy principles
• Encourage municipalities to require waste management plans with business licences
• Develop policy guide for ICI space and access requirements
• Work with local governments and private sector service providers to develop ICI waste source separation requirements
• Investigate shifting disposal ban enforcement to generator, rather than hauler

STRATEGY #10: Support existing and new extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs

• Advocate to the Province to expand EPR programs Note: The Province is currently conducting an EPR gap analysis and considering adding new materials
• Collaborate with product stewardship agencies to increase consumer awareness about EPR programs
• Advocate the Province for increased return-to-retailer opportunities
• Advocate federally to standardize EPR programs across Canada

STRATEGY #11: Increase organics diversion and processing capacity

• Continue to promote organics waste diversion
• Investigate developing a resilient local organics processing infrastructure Note: The CRD is currently investigating developing a processing facility at Hartland Landfill
• Support compost markets by purchasing back finished compost materials
• Collaborate with service providers and users (e.g., local businesses) to develop guidelines for use of compostable products and packaging

STRATEGY #12: Increase construction, renovation and demolition material diversion

• Develop a comprehensive strategy, including characterization of materials, best practices, and pilot projects
• Develop and disseminate educational tools to support material diversion, (e.g., create an industry toolkit, a deconstruction guide, and/or guidelines for diverting and utilizing reused materials)
• Promote green building standards
• Continue collaboration with local governments to develop and use policy tools (e.g., construction permits, building codes) to maximize diversion and to align management plans
• Investigate beneficial uses of waste, including a clean wood waste ban
• Investigate banning or surcharging mixed loads at the landfill to encourage source separation
• Further develop programs for managing hazardous materials like asbestos

STRATEGY #13: Encourage proper public space waste management activities

• Develop educational materials to prevent and reduce litter and abandoned materials in our neighbourhoods and public spaces
• Continue promoting alternatives to abandoned materials and illegal dumping by educating about proper management and disposal
• Collaborate with stakeholders, including local governments and private sector facilities, to develop a regional approach to prevention of of illegal dumping
• Investigate developing regionally-aligned bylaws
• Develop and pilot methodologies to ”observe, record, and report” on abandoned materials and illegal dumping incidents throughout the CRD
• Investigate options for large bulky item disposal, (e.g., free drop-off days or large item pick-up days)

Recovery and Residuals Management Strategies

STRATEGY #14: Optimize landfill gas management

• Continue to capture landfill gas for beneficial use Note: The CRD is currently investigating landfill gas utilization options
• Investigate collaboration opportunities with educational institutions to research new beneficial uses and technologies

STRATEGY #15: Enhance Hartland disposal capacity

• Review ban enforcement levels, subject to recycling market conditions
• Continue to operate Hartland Landfill using best practices
• Develop design options to maximize disposal capacity until 2100 and beyond
• Continue to conduct research and investigate emerging technologies