Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Construction, businesses targeted by Zero Waste Co-ordinator

Lots of work still needs to be done

It will be several weeks before waste audits are complete at the Whistler landfill and the transfer station at Nesters, but Marc Zurbuchen – the Zero Waste Co-ordinator hired for Whistler by the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District – already knows what he’ll find: room for improvement.

A student at Simon Fraser University, Zurbuchen has spent his summer working with businesses and contractors to tackle the issue of solid waste, educating them about the possibilities, and the opportunity to save money. Although many have embraced solid waste reduction strategies, others continue to throw all of their materials in one bin.

"Some businesses think it’s easier to continue to do things the old way, but we’re trying to change their minds about that," said Zurbuchen.

"The reality is that we have to start thinking more about it, what kinds of garbage we’re producing, where it goes, what it does to the environment. I know Whistler is looking at closing its landfill and shipping everything to another community, but by doing so we’re not solving any problems, we’re just putting it in someone else’s backyard."

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) adopted a Zero Waste strategy earlier this year, committing local governments to reduce waste as much as possible through recycling, reduction and reuse strategies.

Whistler, which already has one of the most aggressive recycling programs in B.C., recently created a construction and demolition waste centre. Carney’s Waste Systems also opened a new composting facility in Squamish, turning organic waste and wood waste into high-grade soil.

Whistler is also looking into the possibility of creating a kind of Re-Use-It Centre for contractors, where they can drop off their unused or still usable raw materials.

The pieces are in place to achieve a significant reduction in waste on top of what we’ve achieved through recycling programs, says Zurbuchen – people just need to start making the most of them.

"This is definitely the place to start. In Whistler people are generally more aware of the issues, and they’re into the outdoors, and they believe in keeping it clean.

"If we do end up trucking our waste to another town, then I think people will want to know that we’re sending as few trucks down the road as possible."

On the construction front, Zurbuchen estimates that at least 80 per cent of waste can be reused or recycled, but most companies and contractors don’t bother to separate their waste. He has dropped by sites around Whistler to talk with foremen and managers, offering his service to set up waste reduction programs.

"The response is generally positive, but it’s a challenge for them to set up recycling programs. There are time restraints, it’s difficult to educate workers, some areas have space issues – they don’t have room for recycling bins on site," said Zurbuchen.

"The truth is you only need two bins, or an extra bin, to start up a recycling program. You can put all your clean wood waste, scrap metal, cardboard and drywall into one bin, and it will be separated later. A lot of construction sites are looking into this, because it’s not that difficult.

"Others have gone a lot farther with it, and they’re recycling everything, beverage containers, paper, plastic and even food waste."

There is a financial benefit to recycling, Zurbuchen says. The cost of disposing of organic waste or construction and demolition waste is just $65 a tonne, compared to $120 a tonne for other garbage.

In addition to construction sites, Zurbuchen has been working with local businesses, including restaurants and grocery stores, to launch composting programs.

He estimates that only between 10 and 15 per cent of food processors are composting, despite the fact that they can also save $55 a tonne for waste disposal.

"There’s definitely a lot of room for improvement there, to get all of the restaurants on board. It’s easier than a lot of them think, but it does take some extra care on their part. I think we’ll see a lot of them sign up in the next few months when things slow down a little and they have time to look at their operations," said Zurbuchen.

Under the new Community Charter, which replaced the Municipal Act in January, communities now have the ability to write new bylaws concerning solid waste disposal, as well as to prohibit the use of certain kinds of packaging.

For example, they could make it illegal for grocery stores to give out plastic grocery bags, or, like in England, they could charge customers a fee per bag that will cover the cost of disposal.

They could also make it mandatory for construction permits to include solid waste management plans, as well as for restaurants and grocery stores to compost their organic waste.

"It’s a possibility down the road, but for now I think the voluntary approach is a good way to start, and raising awareness is the first step to getting that going," said Zurbuchen.

"People have to realize that (waste) is a problem that we have to take care of ourselves, and hopefully we can do that without people being obligated to do it. When people want to do this for the environment, for the future, they’re going to do a lot better than if they were forced to recycle everything."

Zurbuchen will be going back to school in a few weeks, after he participates in a household waste audit at Nesters.

Zurbuchen doesn’t know if the position would be available again next year, but hopes to be back to pick up where he left off.

"One thing we’re seeing is the need to have a person, someone you can contact to ask questions or work out some of the logistics. A lot of these guys (contractors) are busy, so they need a little help getting some of these things going," he said.

He points to the Whistler Construction Company’s project on Karen Crescent in Creekside as an example of how the Zero Waste Co-ordinator can help a site to develop a comprehensive recycling program.

"They’ve done an amazing job, and when you look at the site, you’ve never seen a site that clean. They have bins for plastic and paper, they’re diverting their food waste from the rest of the garbage and litter. The employees on the site deserve a lot of the credit as well, because they’re the ones making it work," said Zurbuchen.

The Nita Lake Lodge construction site is also doing a good job managing their solid waste says, Zurbuchen.

"Most of the projects that have adopted these strategies are new. There’s definitely a lot more interest out there, and what these companies are telling me is that they will start (waste reduction, recycling) on their next project," he said.

"Everybody has to start somewhere."