New tipping fee targets large loads of yard waste

If you drive a pick-up truck full of yard waste to a Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) landfill, disposal’s going to remain free. The same goes for single-axle trailers and car loads of bagged yard waste.

But if you drive a tandem-axle vehicle, like a dump truck or bin truck, or tandem-axle trailer full of land clearing or yard waste, there will be a charge for disposal effective March 1, 2021.

In January 2018, the CSRD adopted the free yard waste disposal program, which was designed to give residents access to an environmentally-friendly, economical solution to yard-waste disposal of items like leaves, grass clippings and branches. This has helped reduce open burning and illegal dumping of this type of waste.

Since this change, however, an increasing number of individuals and commercial businesses are bringing in large loads of land-clearing waste using heavy equipment. The large loads are overwhelming the space at transfer stations. This is also causing problems with composting, as much of the waste can not be processed properly due to the amount of stumps, rocks and soil in the load.