The Comox Strathcona Waste Management (CSWM) service is growing its food and yard waste program. Beginning in the New Year, CSWM will receive organic materials from an expanded partnership with the City of Campbell River, City of Courtenay, Town of Comox and Village of Cumberland.
Starting on January 9, 2023, CSWM’s contractor will be delivering new kitchen bins directly to eligible households within each partner municipality. Those currently eligible for curbside collection service in Courtenay, Comox and Cumberland should receive a kitchen bin by February 17, 2023. If you have not received a kitchen bin by February 17, 2023, please contact the CSWM at 250-334-6016 or email cswm@comoxvalleyrd.ca.
Campbell River residents will be introduced into the program in Spring 2023. More information on specific rollout dates and kitchen bin delivery will be coming out at a later time. Please view the City of Campbell River updates on their website.
The kitchen bins are to collect food waste in your kitchen before transferring into a larger bin mixed with yard waste to be set out at the curb on your collection day (please refer to your local municipality for curbside collection set out instructions). Diverting food and yard waste helps reduce pressure on the landfill, as well as the creation of harmful greenhouse gases.
Methane created by food and yard waste at the landfill creates greenhouse gases that have roughly 30 times more warming power than carbon dioxide (CO2). By using the Food and Yard Waste Program and properly disposing of your unneeded waste, you are helping to avoid the generation of landfill methane by turning your waste into nutrient-rich compost.
“Food and yard waste – organics – make up about 30 per cent of what our region sends to the landfill. It can be better managed by composting, and the CSWM is committed to expanding our organics program to improve our sustainability in waste management,” said CSWM Co-Chair Will Cole-Hamilton.
“The new CSWM composting facility in Campbell River and transfer station in the Comox Valley will be fully operational in 2023 and be able to process the food and yard waste from the 30,000 residents in the region participating in this service,” said CSWM Co-Chair Mark Baker.
For more information on the Food and Yard Waste Program including accepted and unaccepted items, visit www.cswm.ca/compost.
For more information on each municipalities collection service, returning unwanted kitchen bins and program specifics, visit your local municipal websites below.
Partner Municipality Quotes:
City of Courtenay
“The City of Courtenay is thrilled to be able to partner with CSWM in offering the new organics service through our residential curbside collection program starting in the new year,” says City of Courtenay Mayor, Bob Wells. “The diversion of food waste will add much-needed resilience and longevity to the regional landfill.”
Town of Comox
“Residents currently receiving organics curbside pick-up will not notice any changes in 2023 due to our participation in the organics pilot program. This new long-term facility will support the region in reaching our waste diversion goals and the Town’s commitment to identify and engage in practices that support more environmental stewardship,” said the Town of Comox Mayor, Nicole Minions. “We applaud Comox residents in their efforts to manage organic material and know that we have an opportunity to gain even greater participation into the program with the expansion into other municipalities.”
Village of Cumberland
“Cumberland has benefited from a curbside organic program since 2013 – dramatically reducing the garbage the Village contributes to the landfill, along with a huge decrease in garden waste burning. Being the host of the landfill, we recognize the need to reduce inputs to the system along with reducing the greenhouse gas emissions produced by organics in the landfill. The success of the program also demonstrated that compost pick up can help reduce conflict with bears and other wildlife attracted by combined garbage and produce a nutrient dense garden amendment at the same time,” said Village of Cumberland Mayor Vickey Brown. “We are excited to see the program expand and look forward to including commercial and institutional pick up in the future.”
Media contact:
Vivian Schau
Senior Manager of CSWM Services
250-334-6025