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Residential organic waste and local governments

Last updated on August 24, 2023

Regional districts in B.C. are responsible for solid waste management planning which includes managing organic waste. Many local governments have organic diversion programs for recycling yard and/or food waste.

These programs can support:

  • Residents that can't compost at home
  • Organic waste that shouldn’t be composted at home including meat, bones, fats and dairy products
  • Preventing organic waste from entering landfills
  • Deterring wildlife interactions at home

On this page:

Best management practices for residential organic waste collection

Read Best Management Practices for Curbside Collection of Residential Organic Waste (PDF, 4.4MB) and learn how your local government can:

  • Start collecting organic residential food and yard waste, or
  • Expand existing collection programs

Organic waste diversion funding opportunities

CleanBC Organics Infrastructure and Collection Program

The CleanBC Organics Infrastructure and Collection Program (OICP) supports organic waste diversion from landfills to reduce provincial greenhouse gas emissions.

The OICP invests in organic waste diversion projects such as:

  • Composting facilities
  • Anaerobic digestion facilities 
  • Collection programs for residential households

This funding opportunity is now closed to applications.

Organics Infrastructure Program

The Organics Infrastructure Program (OIP) supports organic waste diversion from landfills and agricultural lands to reduce federal and provincial greenhouse gas emissions.

The OIP invests in organic processing infrastructure including:

  • Composting facilities
  • Anaerobic digestion facilities

Funding opportunities under this program are now closed.

This program is funded in part by the Government of Canada.

Bylaw development

Regional districts are responsible for developing plans for the management of municipal solid waste and recyclable materials.

Under the Environmental Management Act, regional districts may make bylaws to regulate:

  • Municipal solid waste management
  • Recyclable material

Many local governments have organic diversion programs and some communities have bans on organics in their landfills.

Organic waste landfill bans

To support organic waste diversion, many B.C. communities have a full or partial ban for disposing organic waste at their landfills.  These bans can be for organic waste within the residential sector and/or businesses in the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) sector.

Currently, 67.4 percent of B.C.’s population is covered by an organic waste ban. Regions with organic waste bans include:

  • Capital Regional District
  • Cowichan Valley Regional District
  • Metro Vancouver
  • Regional District of Nanaimo
  • Squamish and Whistler
  • City of Terrace

Organic management case studies

Many of B.C.'s local governments support residential organic waste diversion by:

  • Encouraging composting at home
  • Offering services for composting of food and yard waste
  • Providing residential collection services to households

Read about the innovative ways people are reducing and recycling organic waste for single and multi-family homes. 

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Single-family organics 

 

Multi-family organics

 

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