The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) is updating its Solid Waste and Resource Management Plan (SWRMP).
Under the Environmental Management Act, regional districts are required to review and update these plans every 10 years. The goal is to submit the updated plan to the Ministry of Environment and Parks in 2028/2029 for approval.
What is a Solid Waste and Resource Management Plan?
A Solid Waste and Resource Management Plan guides how waste and recycling materials are managed in a region.
These plans are designed to:
Meet the needs of local communities
Protect the environment
Align with provincial legislation
The update process involves:
Inviting the public through various steps of consultation during the development of the SWRMP
Establishing advisory committees
Setting regional targets
Reviewing existing waste management systems
Identifying strategy options based on the 5R pollution hierarchy (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover, and Residuals Management)
Once approved, the plan authorizes the regional district to manage municipal waste and recycling in accordance with its guidelines.
Background
The Environmental Management Act requires that all regional districts develop plans for the management of solid waste and recyclable materials. The current Solid Waste and Resource Management Plan (SWRMP) was adopted by the SLRD Board of Directors in March 2016 and approved by the Ministry of Environment in April 2019.
In 2021, the SLRD, in collaboration with the District of Squamish, initiated the SWRMP Focus Amendment for the Squamish Landfill lateral expansion. In 2022, the SLRD and the District of Squamish pursued a regional engagement. In March 2023, the SLRD received a letter of satisfaction from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy for the consultation process. The Squamish landfill lateral expansion process is ongoing.
The Ministry of Environment recommends plans be reviewed on a 5-year basis and requires updates every 10 years. Following the completion of the 5-year review in 2023, the SLRD is initiating the SWRMP update in 2025.
Following the Request for Proposals (July 22, 2025 – September 1, 2025), the SLRD hired a consultant to assist with the development of the SWRMP Update, including the development of a comprehensive engagement plan.
There are 2 landfills in operation in the region, 2 depots, 4 transfer stations and 4 communities with curbside collection services managed by the regional district or municipalities:
Active landfills:
Lillooet Landfill & Recycling Centre
Squamish Landfill
Transfer stations and depots:
Gold Bridge Transfer Station
Devine Transfer Station
Pemberton Transfer Station
Nester’s Depot
Function Junction Depot
Whistler Waste Transfer Station
Curbside collection services:
Lillooet (waste to landfill only)
Squamish (waste to landfill, recycling and organics)
Britannia Beach (waste to landfill, recycling and organics)
Furry Creek (waste to landfill, recycling and organics)
Solid waste management in the region also includes:
Organics processing and composting:
Extended Producer Responsibility programs collection (e.g. deposit beverage containers household hazardous waste, lights, small appliances, electronics, large appliances, batteries, used oil, etc.)
Many private and non-profit partners who operate reuse facilities or initiatives.
Private waste management and haulers.
This brief summary excludes First Nation waste management services and facilities.
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Vision:
The ultimate goal is zero waste – all of our discards are regarded as resources.
To the greatest extent possible, these resources are used locally, thereby moving the SLRD towards a closed-loop economy.
The system to manage discards is financially self-sustaining. Embedded in this goal is to have the cost to purchase a product include the cost of managing it at the end of its useful life.
Citizens are actively engaged in behaviours that reflect the waste management hierarchy (i.e. reduce before reuse before recycle).
Until we have achieved zero waste, the infrastructure to manage residual waste meets or exceeds provincial guidelines and regulatory requirements.
Priorities:
Moving from awareness to action (behaviour change)
Diverting organic waste (increasing composting)
Improving existing reuse, recycling, and composting activities
Managing construction, demolition and renovation waste
Education and improving awareness
Criteria:
Collaboration (government, business, non-profits, First Nations)
Affordable and realistic
Create local jobs/supports the local economy
Plan targets:
The SLRD achieve an average municipal solid waste disposal rate of 350 kilograms per capita by 2020, from 526 kg in 2012.
The Plan’s target is aligned with the Ministry of Environment and Parks’ service plan targets: Per capita municipal solid waste disposal of 350 kg per person) and 75% of BC’s population covered by an organics disposal ban by 2020.
That 75% of SLRD’s population is actively engaged in organic waste diversion, from 43% in 2012.
Summary: Overall, progress has been made on the plan despite the capacity challenges. More work at a quicker pace will be needed to get towards target 1 (waste per capita) and strengthen target 2 (organics diversion). The actions in the plan remain relevant and the strength of the future work will rely on relationships and partnerships.
Recommendations: That the SLRD plan to have a completed SWRMP update in 2027 (with a framework of steps required being developed in 2024 and preparatory work starting in 2025) with the aim to complete as many of the actions of the existing plan as possible before then. This will allow for more actions to be completed. The current plan is sufficiently broad that many of the actions raised by interviewees fit within the scope of the plan already. The update process would start ten years from the completion of the previous plan but before the ten-year requirement from the plan approval date.
How does this update affect me?
Waste management plans influence how individuals and businesses handle waste in a region. They shape:
Develop a list of potential principles, goals and targets
Step 3: Evaluate Options
2026 - 2027
Develop a list of strategies, options and targets
Engage on strategies, options and targets
Step 4: Prepare and Adopt the Plan
2028
Prepare draft updated Plan
Review draft Plan with interested parties
Revise and finalize Plan and consultation summary report
SLRD Board final approval
Submit to the Ministry of Environment and Parks for approval
Why your input matters
The updated Solid Waste Management Plan will shape how waste is handled in the region for the next decade. By participating in the engagement process, you can:
Help shape a diversion and disposal system that reflects your community’s needs and values.
Provide feedback on what’s working, what’s not, and what should be prioritized.
Identify barriers and ensure solutions are practical, inclusive, and equitable, and economically sustainable.
As the review progresses, we’ll post updates and invitations for sharing input and help guide the process on this page.
Your voice matters. The way we reduce, reuse, recycle and dispose of materials impacts everyone. Input is essential to building a sustainable and effective waste management system for the future.
The SLRD is accepting applications from residents, businesses and organizations interested in serving on the Solid Waste and Resource Management Plan Update Public and Technical Advisory Committee for the duration of the plan update.
