On June 1, 2022, changes regarding the acceptance of yard & garden material at CVRD Recycling Centres came into effect. Changes include a new fee for commercial yard waste drop-off, and the temporary necessity for all yard & garden customers to weigh in and out at the scale for the month of June. Since the changes came into effect, we have received numerous comments and concerns from residents. We recognize that the changes have been frustrating for some customers; it is important to us that we work with residents to create better waste management programs for the Cowichan Valley.
Compared to neighbouring districts such as the Regional District of Nanaimo and the Capital Regional District, the CVRD does not charge residents a fee for yard & garden waste disposal. Given that we have identified that a significant volume of this material managed by the Recycling Centres comes from commercial operations from both in and out-of-region, it was important to consider that the CVRD cannot subsidize these customers with taxpayer funds. Revenue collected through the commercial yard waste fee will be put towards the $630,000 annual cost of the program. Yard & garden waste drop-off will remain free to residents.
To ensure that the future of the program meets the needs of our community, we are requiring all yard & garden waste customers to weigh their material at the scale for the month of June only. The data we collect will help determine residential and commercial yard waste volumes, giving us more information for future planning. The Three-Stream Curbside Collection engagement program that we are currently running has demonstrated that there is an interest for yard waste collection at the curbside; moving forward, we will be considering how this may be incorporated in a future service delivery model. Asking residents to weigh material at this time allows us to gauge and plan how the curbside program could work, if residents decide that is how we should move forward.
We thank you for your feedback, and patience, as it helps make our waste management programs reflect and balance the values of our growing community.
- Cowichan Valley Regional District - Recycling & Waste Management