The Food Waste Drop-off Pilot Program at the Pender Harbour Transfer Station is back, effective immediately, according to a June 23 news release from the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD).
Salish Environmental Services has stepped back into the role of service delivery contractor, according to the SCRD communications department.
The two-year pilot program in SCRD Area A (Pender Harbour/Egmont), which does not have local government curbside garbage or recycling collection, was approved by the SCRD board in July 2022. It started operating that November. The original contract for the service, also with Salish Environmental Group, was in force until April 30, 2025.
The program was temporarily suspended as of May 1. That decision followed unsuccessful efforts on the part of staff in the early months of that year to secure a contractor to provide the service.
When the suspension was announced, in an April 17 news release, the SCRD cited a low level of participation and high costs to operate the drop off. It committed to “continue exploring alternatives for food waste diversion at Pender Harbour."
Helping Sechelt landfill's outlook
In both statements, the regional district highlighted that “food waste is recyclable and throwing it in the garbage not only increases the release of greenhouse gases but also reduces the usable space in the Sechelt Landfill.”
Garbage collected at the Pender Harbour station is hauled to the landfill, the only local government solid waste facility in the SCRD’s jurisdiction, for disposal.
The SCRD is currently working on a number of options, including a contact water pond relocation and vertical landfill expansion to extend the life of that Sechelt-based facility.
The SCRD’s “Lets Talk Page” that discusses regional soil waste disposal states it “anticipates the Sechelt Landfill will reach capacity by mid-2030. This means that garbage will no longer be accepted at the Sechelt Landfill and must be disposed of elsewhere. No decisions have been made about what the next long-term disposal option will be.”
Clients of the Pender facility are reminded to visit scrd.ca/transfer-station and to review the “what to know before you go” section for details on what is accepted as food waste.
