Trash Talk: Results in on CRD Solid Waste Market Research & Engagement Study

The results are in from the District’s Solid Waste Market Research and Engagement Study.

The study gathered resident and business attitudes and behaviours towards waste reduction and management practices.

Survey results, along with historical data,were analyzed to develop the Key Performance Indicators and research findings:

Residential:

• 74% of residents reported positive attitudes across five waste management behaviours, including reducing waste, supporting circular economy, composting, confidence in their waste disposal knowledge and supporting community initiatives.
•  Most residents reported no barriers to disposing of general refuse, recycling, and organic waste.
•  64% of residents reported significant barriers exist for "Other recycling" such as foam packaging and soft plastics. These barriers include a lack of knowledge on where and how to dispose of these materials and difficulty in transporting to disposal sites.

Hartland Public Drop-off Depot:

• Visits to recycle materials have increased by an average of 20% annually, with a notable spike in 2022 following the introduction of the Express & Go drop-off for refundable beverage containers.
• Visits to dispose of general refuse have increased by about 5% annually, slightly higher than population growth.
• Materials most commonly being brought to Hartland Landfill for recycling include metals, plastic products, and foam packaging.

Business:

•  Most businesses produce paper, plastic, and organic waste.
• 100% of businesses that produce paper waste have recycling bins on site for its collection, however, only 74% of businesses that produce soft plastic waste have collection methods in place.
• About half of businesses experience challenges complying with local waste management regulations, citing limited disposal options and high costs.

The data will help inform education and outreach initiatives focused on achieving the Solid Waste Management Plan target of reducing the region’s waste by more than one-third by 2031.