Council approves Solid Waste Master Plan

Council approved the Solid Waste Master Plan (SWMP) to guide how the City sustainably manages waste over the next 30 years. The Trail Waste Facility landfill is estimated to reach capacity between 2034 and 2035, if today's disposal habits remain the same. The SWMP outlines 50 actions to divert as much waste as possible from the landfill, recover resources and energy from the remaining garbage, and dispose of residual waste in an environmentally sustainable way, all while keeping services affordable. Over the next three decades, these actions are expected to reduce waste by about 31,000 tonnes and divert almost one million tonnes of waste from the landfill, extending its life by 14 years. It will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 9,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, the same as removing 2,750 passenger vehicles from the roads each year.

Council also approved the new Solid Waste Long Range Financial Plan (LRFP), which sets out how the City will keep waste services cost-effective and affordable to 2053. The LRFP outlines the operating requirements and capital investments needed to maintain existing service and to fund the SWMP. The City will shift to a funding model where costs would be recovered from a curbside service fee. To support future capital needs, the City will replenish the solid waste reserve fund from revenues over the next several years. The LRFP will ensure that the cost per household for waste services increases in an equitable and predictable way over time, to keep pace with the cost of service and capital needs.