The Comox Strathcona Waste Management (CSWM) Board has approved targeted tipping fee increases to align their long term financial strategy to follow a user-pay model, where those who generate waste contribute fairly to the cost of managing it.
Effective April 1, 2025, tipping fees on specific categories are increasing at both the Comox Valley and Campbell River Waste Management Centres:
- Industrial, Commercial, Institutional (ICI): $155 per tonne to $165 per tonne
- Household Municipal Solid Waste (MSW): $155 per tonne to $165 per tonne
- Drywall: $275 per tonne to $285 per tonne
- Clean Fill: $40 per tonne to $60 per tonne
- Construction Waste: $155 per tonne to $205 per tonne
To help businesses plan ahead, a separate increase for Construction Waste, from $155 per tonne to $205 per tonne, will not take effect until October 1, 2025. This phased approach allows time for adjustments ahead of peak construction season.
Construction waste accounts for a significant portion of landfill waste each year. To reduce the amount entering the landfills and taking up unnecessary space, there is a larger fee increase for this category, as contractors and businesses are encouraged to sort materials and recycle usable components rather than sending them with general waste.
“We understand that increased costs for residents and businesses are never ideal,” explains Vivian Schau, Senior Manager of CSWM Services. “To keep up with rising costs to balance the solid waste budget, this needs to be a shared responsibility to keep waste costs down and support further waste diversion programs.”
These increases will maintain a stable tax rate over the next three years, while also supporting operational needs of the CSWM service.
To help manage costs, customers are encouraged to sort materials before arriving at the landfill and divert recyclables, which can reduce tipping fees and save both time and money.
For more information on what you can recycle and keep away from the landfill, visit www.cswm.ca/diversion.
For details on updated pricing and how these changes may affect you, visit www.cswm.ca/fees.
For information on CSWM board meetings and to watch previous discussions, visit www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/meetings.
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Media contact:
Vivian Schau
Senior Manager, CSWM Services
250-334-6025