Municipal waste management plans

The Environmental Management Act requires that all regional districts prepare and submit a solid waste management plan to the provincial government. Final plans are approved by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy after sufficient public and stakeholder consultation has taken place. 

As part of this process, many local governments have developed management strategies that reduce their disposed amount of municipal solid waste. 

The sequential 5 R pollution prevention hierarchy (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover, Residuals Management) is a useful tool for regional districts to use when looking at opportunities to improve their solid waste management system.

The Guide to Solid Waste Management Planning 2016 (PDF, 1.8KB) provides advice to aid in plan development that is consistent with legislative requirements. It reflects ministry expectations regarding plans and desirable outcomes, defined by provincial targets and principles. 

Provisions in the guide are not mandatory requirements for regional districts to follow but recommended practices.

The guide was updated in 2016 to:

• Acknowledge changes to the municipal solid waste sector and the roles played by private sector and industry product stewards
• Provide templates and appendices to assist local government planning
• Incorporate provincial waste disposal targets, and
• Emphasize best practices in consultation.

Learn more about the public consultation process:

• Solid Waste Management Policy Intentions paper 2015 (PDF, 530KB)
• Summary of public comments on the intentions paper 2016 (PDF, 323KB)
• Consultation process and summary of public comments on the draft Guide 2016 (PDF,1MB)