After making progress with municipal composting and expanding the recycling program to include batteries, Carney’s Waste Systems is turning its attention to the next big waste issue for Whistler – the disposal of construction and demolition waste.
According to studies, about 30 per cent of all waste that ends up in the landfill is organic and can be composted to produce soil and fertilizer. Another 40 per cent of all material in Whistler’s waste stream is construction and demolition waste, much of which is reusable.
To solve that issue, Carney’s is introducing a Construction and Demolition Yard where builders and contractors can dump materials that can be used again. The yard will accept clean loads of wood, steel and cardboard.
Clean dimensional lumber without any paint, laminates or glues will be ground into wood chips to mix with organic materials in the compost process at Carney’s Organic Recycling facility in Squamish, which is still under development.
Wood that has been treated in any way will be chipped and used as fuel for pulp and paper facilities.
Steel and cardboard will also be separated and recycled.
Construction site recycling bins will be available to accept these materials, making it easier for construction workers and Carney’s employees to sort waste.
Not only will this extend the life of the Whistler landfill while recycling materials, the tipping fee will also be significantly lower for builders who use the Construction and Demolition Yard – $65 a tonne rather than the usual $121.
