ARTICLE
Uncertainty over the Capital Regional District’s (CRD) Kitchen Scraps and Composting program has brought both solid waste management and recycling back into public focus. As Victorians, not far from our hearts is a deep understanding and respect for our environment and a feeling of duty to sustain the environment we live in and protect it for the future. The CRD’s decision last year to ban kitchen scraps from the Hartland Landfill, in order to extend the life of the facility, was met with little-to-no resistance. This comes as no surprise given the CRD’s role as a leader in recycling and landfill management. Unfortunately, since the initiative was started, things have not gone according to plan. With the temporary suspension of the Saanich composting facility, coupled with difficulty finding companies to process the composting material and potentially more kitchen waste than we can ever process, the CRD finds itself in a situation with an uncertain direction. In addition, a recently recommended interim storage pit at Hartland Landfill was also rejected, making the issue all the more pressing. As leaders in the area, the CRD has received many prestigious awards including the Silver Landfill Management Excellence Award from the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), a Best Practices Award for its Household Hazardous Waste Program and an Innovation Award for its Gas Utilization Facility. With a proven track record in waste management innovation, we owe it to not only our community but each other to come up with a viable solution. Waste creation is not significantly decreasing, as such it is important as leaders in recycling and waste management, it is important to look at long-term solutions. Before we know it the Hartland Landfill will have exhausted its useful life and shipping waste is only a temporary solution. Temporary solutions can inadvertently result in increasing costs over the long term — costs that may be better used in long-term innovative solutions to manage recycling, composting, and other waste. We need innovative ideas, and a plan for long-term sustainable waste management. The Capital Region continues to grow and with this growth we need to consider the quality of life that we cherish here in the Greater Victoria area. A place that we are proud of and want to continue being an environmentally and economically sustainable community. A vibrant community that we are all proud to live and work in. Bruce Carter CEO, Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce Business Examiner - December 2013
Bruce Carter CEO, Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce