Comox Valley Regional District

Solid Waste Services

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July 2010

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SOLID WASTE SERVICES

The Comox Strathcona Waste Management (CSWM) service is a function of the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) and is responsible for two regional waste management centres that serve the Comox Valley and Campbell River, as well as a range of transfer stations and smaller waste-handling and recycling facilities for the electoral areas of the CVRD and the Strathcona Regional District. The CSWM service manages over 100,000 tonnes of waste and recycled material and oversees a number of diversion and education programs.

The CSWM services and programs are supported by the regional solid waste management plan (RSWMP) which is a plan required by British Columbia legislation. The CSWM is updating the solid waste management plan that guides how the region will manage its garbage. The draft of the Comox Valley Regional District sustainability strategy envisages a zero waste region – no waste, only resources.

The CVRD oversees an extensive multi-material recycling program and has active re-use and re-purposing programs in place at each of our landfills. At present, just over 45 percent of solid waste generated in the district is diverted through these programs.

We also provide a wide range of educational programs that encourage household Power of R! through recycling and backyard composting efforts.

An Important Note About Euthanized Animals in Landfills

The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) oversees the waste management centres in the Comox Valley and in Campbell River, and follows North American standards for disposal of animal carcasses. It is very important for people bringing animal carcasses to a landfill to advise the operators, so the proper procedures can be followed. This is particularly important when the animal carcasses have been euthanized by a drug injection, as that drug – if ingested by a scavenging bird or animal – can cause illness or even death.

Our procedures involve burying the carcass below the toe of the active landfill area and immediately covering it with waste material, thereby ensuring there is no access to it by scavenging birds or other animals. The cover is immediately at least a metre deep. At the end of the day, the cover could be as much as three metres deep.

We support having veterinarians advise their clients of the options for cremation. If the client opts to bury their pet, we also support veterinarians explaining the importance of proper burial which is one to two feet deep, with the grave then covered with stones.

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