Mayor's Report - January 2003

An operations analysis of the compactor and recycling facilities for 2002 has again provided some very interesting statistics. Last year Belcarra residents generated 409,552 pounds (204.8 tons) of refuse and 146,740 pounds (73.4 tons) of recyclables. This was a total waste stream of 546,772 pounds (273.4 tons) for 2002 (see graph below).

It is interesting to note that the volume of waste for 2002 equates to 1,835 pounds per household, which is 5% more than last year, and 22% more than the “low” of 1,500 pounds per household disposed in 1995! The question is: “Why has the waste per household been ‘fluctuating’ in recent years?” Anecdotal evidence suggests that unauthorized use of Belcarra’s refuse and recycle facilities is the culprit — residents have observed persons from neighbouring areas bringing their garbage to Belcarra!

In 1999 the GVRD residential sector generated 738,656 tons (671,505 tonnes) of solid waste which equates to 702 lbs per capita of which 37% was recycled. By comparison, Belcarra’s 700 residents generated a total of 273.4 tons of solid waste in 2002 which equates to 781 lbs per capita of which 26% was recycled. In other words, it would appear that Belcarra residents generated 11% more solid waste per capita in 2002 than the GVRD average. I interpret these statistics as probable confirmation that garbage is being “imported” into Belcarra for disposal!

The proportion of waste recycled in 2002 accounted for 26% of the total, which is a decrease from the ‘high’ of 31% recycled in 1999. Further analysis shows that it cost $97 per ton to transport and dispose of the garbage (an increase from $90 per ton in 2001), and $61 per ton to transport and process the recyclables (an increase from $52 per ton in 2001). While 26% is commendable, we must achieve further increases in the percentage diverted to recycling if we want to appreciably reduce our volume of garbage and continue to control garbage disposal costs in the future.

When Belcarra’s recycling program began in 1990, processing recyclables actually cost a “premium” over garbage disposal costs. However, by the start of 1994, the cost of processing recyclables had decreased to $69 per ton, the same cost as the “tip fee” at the regional landfills. Today, this means that recycling saves the community $65 per ton! The obvious conclusion: the more waste diverted to recycling, the lower the total cost of waste disposal for Belcarra.

We can only improve our recycling effort with the total involvement and support of the users of the system, that is, the residents of Belcarra. The cost of garbage disposal will continue to increase in the coming years, and there will be an increased price to pay if we don't continue to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

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