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Compost, recycling requirement expanding in Regional District of Nanaimo

Commercial and multi-family buildings will have to start separating out organics and recyclable items in January
Carla Wilson
Carla Wilson
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Separating waste is already in effect for single-family homes in the region that receive curbside collection — as well as in the city of Nanaimo — but hasn’t previously included multi-family, institutional and commercial buildings. TIMES COLONIST

Starting in January, commercial, multi-family, industrial and institutional buildings in the Regional District of Nanaimo will have to start separating out organics and recyclable items from their waste.

Separating waste is already in effect for single-family homes in the region that receive curbside collection — as well as in the city of Nanaimo — but not for multi-family, institutional and commercial buildings in the RDN, which were not required to separate their materials into a three-stream system.

Although many of those buildings do practice some sort of waste diversion, many do not, Ben Routledge, district manager for solid waste, said Tuesday.

“As a result, compostable and recyclable materials become co-mingled with regular waste, which results in them being landfilled.”

The district hopes to reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill by 90 per cent by 2029.

It will be the responsibility of property owners and managers to co-ordinate the collection and management of the separate waste streams, the district said.

The new rules give owners and managers six months from the implementation of the bylaw to meet the requirements, it said.

The regional district is holding education sessions online and through public meetings as it prepares for the new rules to come into effect.

Information sessions will be held:

• Qualicum Beach: Oct. 16, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Qualicum Beach Civic Centre, 747 Jones St.

• Nanoose Bay: Oct. 17, 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Nanoose Place Community Centre, 2925 Northwest Bay Rd.

• Parksville: Nov. 4, 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Oceanside Place Arena, 830 West Island Highway

• Nanaimo: Nov. 5, 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Arbutus Room, RDN, 6300 Hammond Bay Road.

• Nanaimo: Nov. 6, 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

RDN Regional Landfill, 1105 Cedar Rd.

An online webinar is set for Nov. 20, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at: https://bit.ly/3SWD. Meeting ID: 673 4964 7039, passcode: 152265 . The webinar will be recorded and posted online, the district said.

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