FAQs

Mandatory Waste Source Separation is a bylaw that requires the use of separated garbage, recycling and organics bins to divert waste from the landfill. 

Single family homes throughout the RDN are already required to have three-stream (recycling, organics, garbage) collection through the curbside program and now Mandatory Waste Source Separation will require this for multi-family, commercial, institutional and industrial properties through the region. The key difference is that Mandatory Waste Source Separation allows you to work with your waste hauler to determine what your collection program will look like.

The RDN has a goal to reach 90 per cent waste diversion from the landfill. The new Mandatory Waste Source Separation bylaw will help move the needle by including all properties in the RDN in the diversion requirements.

The MWSS bylaw will be implemented in January 2025. Residents will have 6 months to become compliant with the bylaw.

Every business is going to have a different set of needs, and assessing how waste is handled in your facility will be part of the planning. There are a few key things to consider:

• The requirement to divert waste applies to both your staff/internal operations as well as to customers. For example: a hotel will have to plan how waste is divided within its guest rooms, as well as how it’s handled in back offices or lunchrooms.
• Waste collection service providers in the RDN have incentive to divert waste from the landfill and understand this new requirement is coming. Contacting your waste collection provider will be a key step – some may offer sorting services too.
• There are many waste-separation bin options available on the market and there are some discounts available to RDN residents.  See the Resouces titled "Discounts".

Talk to your current hauler and see what they offer, and if that doesn't work for you, you can choose to work with whichever waste hauler meets your needs.  Waste haulers are empowered via new licensing to facilitate three-stream collection and there are also incentives for them to reduce waste sent to the landfill. 

If any resource is needed in another language, please reach out to sbajwa@rdn.bc.ca