CRD's only dump on fast track to capacity despite composting, recycling programs

Tossed food scraps pushing CRD dump near capacity Despite a ban on kitchen scraps in garbages, officials say one-fifth of material tossed in the Hartland Landfill is organic material.

Despite regional programs aimed at curbing food scraps tossed in the garbage, officials say the Hartland Landfill is nearing capacity.

Officials say the dump is filling up faster than ever due in part to an economy on the rebound.

"More money circulating, more construction, people renovating, new homes being built, people buying new things…waste increases," said Russ Smith, the landfill's senior manager of environmental resource management.

The Capital Region's only public dump is projected to have just 30 years left before it's completely full of trash.

The Capital Regional District banned kitchen scraps from common garbages three years ago, but homeowners don't appear to be following the rules.

Landfill officials say one-fifth of all the garbage that ends up at the dump is still organic material that isn't supposed to be there.

Numbers also suggest that despite people's best intentions to adapt, overall waste in the region has gone up. Last year 400 kilograms of garbage per person in the CRD was dumped at the landfill, up from any of the five previous years.

The CRD says it hopes to continue educating residents about best garbage practices so that the dump can serve the region beyond the next 30 years.