District of Squamish council gave third reading to a demolition waste diversion bylaw to encourage more recycling and material salvage where possible.
The bylaw aims to do so through a refundable fee and diversion reporting system.
Those who apply for a demolition permit will be asked to pay a refundable fee of $20 per square meter, which district estimates would be between $3,000 to $5,000 for most projects.
Upon completion of the demolition, the permit holder will be required to submit a diversion report to receive their refund.
In alignment with the Council Strategic Plan goal, the diversion requirement is set at 80% diversion by volume of waste material, which staff says most demolition jobs would be able to easily achieve by diverting concrete, wood, metal, drywall, and any hazardous materials.
Applicants who divert less than the 80% target will be refunded a pro-rated amount, based on the diversion percentage that they attain.
Applicants who divert less than 40% of materials will not receive any refund.
Applicants who divert more than 80% will continue to save costs through existing incentives, such as reduced landfill fees.
To encourage material reuse where appropriate, materials that are effectively separated for reuse instead of recycled will be given twice the diversion value.
The diversion reports overt time will also allow better tracking of materials and diversion, which can inform future building practices, policy updates and opportunities for improvement.
In 2020, 19 demolition permits were issued, with an estimated 1,425 tonnes of waste generated.
If 80% diversion were achieved by these sites, the waste to landfill would have been reduced by 680 tonnes, or by 5% overall tonnage to the landfill.
