The tipping fee for garbage disposal at the Cowichan Valley Regional District’s recycling centres will increase in the new year for the first time since 2012.
As of Jan. 1. the tipping fee will increase from $140 per tonne to $148, and the minimum fee for small quantity disposal (under 30 kilograms) will increase from $5 to $7.
“The good news is our region has reduced the amount of landfill waste moving through our facilities by 15 per cent since 2012,” said Aaron Stone, chairman of the CVRD.
“Unfortunately, the cost of exporting our waste has increased by almost 30 per cent during that same period of time and, combined with other factors, has dramatically reduced the revenue we generate from solid waste.”
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Stone said the CVRD hopes that as it implements the strategies from its regional solid-waste management plan, the district will continue to see significant reductions in the amount of landfill garbage it creates, and move closer to its goal of becoming a zero-waste community by 2040.
He said a number of other factors have also contributed to increased costs in recent years, including decreased revenue, land remediation projects at former landfills, and increased contracted garbage disposal costs.
But Stone said garbage-export expenses make up the bulk of the cost increase, rising from $97 per tonne in 2012 to $136 per tonne in 2019.
“The waste disposal rate across the Cowichan region is currently 358 kg. per person, well below the provincial average of 472 kg. per person,” he said.
“However, waste audits show that, regionally, more than 48 per cent of what is sent to landfills is still made up of compostable or recyclable material.”