Waste management

A waste discharge authorization is written permission to release waste into the environment under the Environmental Management Act (EMA). Find out what you need to apply, manage, and search for authorizations.

There is a positive business case for reducing the amount of waste we generate. In British Columbia, we have set a provincial waste disposal target to lower the municipal solid waste disposal rate to 350 kg per person to reduce the waste we generate on land and in the marine environment. 

Approximately, one-third of all food produced in the world is lost or wasted every year (FAO, 2011). In B.C., organic waste currently represents 40% of material sent to our landfills.

British Columbia is guided by the pollution prevention hierarchy, which supports a circular economy approach.

In a circular economy, resources are reused, recycled, and turned into new products.

Local governments are responsible for preventing and disposing of solid waste for homes and businesses in their area.

Managing municipal solid waste minimizes environmental impacts and supports sustainable environmental management, greenhouse gas reduction and air and water quality.

Sewage (or wastewater) from homes and businesses is treated and discharged from treatment facilities throughout the province. Facilities vary in size, treatment level and ownership type. Most large scale treatment facilities in the province are owned and operated by municipalities or regional governments.

To prevent harming human health and the environment, it’s essential that hazardous waste is handled, stored, transported, treated and disposed of properly.

Our environmental standards and management approaches strive to establish world-leading requirements to protect air, land and water quality.

An example of how the province is strengthening environmental accountability is the Public Interest Bonding Strategy.