Stop by an Open Office Hours session

New waste diversion rules are coming for all commercial, institutional, industrial and multi-family buildings in 2025 in the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) that will require organics and recyclable items to be separated from waste.

To help owners and tenants prepare for the new Mandatory Waste Source Separation (MWSS) bylaw, the RDN is hosting office hours and a webinar. Anyone with questions about the new MWSS bylaw requirements and how to prepare for them is invited to drop by during the following office hours:

• Qualicum Beach: Wednesday, Oct.16, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Qualicum Beach Civic Centre, 747 Jones St.
• Nanoose Bay: Thursday, Oct. 17, 2:30 to 5 p.m. Nanoose Place Community Centre, 2925 Northwest Bay Rd.
• Parksville: Monday, Nov. 4, 2:30 to 5 p.m. Oceanside Place Arean, 830 West Island Highway
• Nanaimo: Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2:30 to 5 p.m., Arbutus Room, RDN, 6300 Hammond Bay Rd.
• Nanaimo: Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2:30 to 5 p.m., RDN Regional Landfill, 1105 Cedar Rd.

For those unable to attend in person, there will be a webinar on Wednesday, November 20, from 12 to 1 p.m. at: https://bit.ly/3SWD. Meeting ID: 673 4964 7039, Passcode: 152265 . The webinar will be recorded and posted on the Get Involved project webpage.

The MWSS bylaw applies to all properties across the RDN including in electoral areas A, B, C, E, F, G and H, the City of Nanaimo, District of Lantzville, City of Parksville and Town of Qualicum Beach. Commercial, institutional, industrial and multi-family properties need to implement an organics and recycling diversion program with separate or partitioned containers for garbage, recycling and organics.

It will be the responsibility of property owners and managers to coordinate the collection and proper management of separated waste with their waste collection service provider.