Waste Stream Management Licensing Bylaw Update

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The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) is updating the Waste Stream Management Licensing (WSML) Bylaw, which has not been revised since 2004. The WSML Bylaw is a regulatory tool for the management of private licensed facilities that handle waste and recyclable material. Authority for the WSML bylaw is granted through the RDN’s Solid Waste Management Plan and therefore revisions must be approved by BC’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.

The WSML Bylaw requires a high standard of operation, promotes waste diversion, minimizes nuisance and requires reporting so that waste diversion can be tracked region-wide.


Key areas of the review include:

  • Repeal of the Regional District of Nanaimo Waste Stream Management Licensing Bylaw No. 1386, 2004;
  • Excluding solid waste and recyclable facilities managed by the RDN and affiliated municipalities authorized under permit or regulations by the provincial Environmental Management Act;
  • Clarifying definitions;
  • Identifying and describing private facility types requiring a license;
  • Streamlining licensing process;
  • Eliminating details associated with operating plans and security requirements that are best suited to be incorporated into the RDN’s WSML Application Guide and authorized under the facility license;
  • Limiting the scope of the WSML Bylaw to only those areas requiring Minister approval and removes section like illegal dumping and fee provisions to be included in new separate bylaws; and
  • Aligning with RDN’s direction to support existing and creation of new bylaws including the Mandatory Source Separation and Waste Hauler Licensing bylaws to meet the goal and objectives of the approved Solid Waste Management Plan.

How you can find out more or provide feedback:

  • Register (tab at the top right of this page) to be kept up-to-date with progress on this project through our electronic communications and provide us your thoughts using the feedback tab below.
  • Explore this webpage to find out more about the project. Staff reports and other documents can be accessed in the document library.
  • Ask us a question in the Q & A tab below and we will respond


*If you would like your feedback included in the report to the Regional Board and in the final submission to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, please have all feedback submitted by September 30, 2020.

The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) is updating the Waste Stream Management Licensing (WSML) Bylaw, which has not been revised since 2004. The WSML Bylaw is a regulatory tool for the management of private licensed facilities that handle waste and recyclable material. Authority for the WSML bylaw is granted through the RDN’s Solid Waste Management Plan and therefore revisions must be approved by BC’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.

The WSML Bylaw requires a high standard of operation, promotes waste diversion, minimizes nuisance and requires reporting so that waste diversion can be tracked region-wide.


Key areas of the review include:

  • Repeal of the Regional District of Nanaimo Waste Stream Management Licensing Bylaw No. 1386, 2004;
  • Excluding solid waste and recyclable facilities managed by the RDN and affiliated municipalities authorized under permit or regulations by the provincial Environmental Management Act;
  • Clarifying definitions;
  • Identifying and describing private facility types requiring a license;
  • Streamlining licensing process;
  • Eliminating details associated with operating plans and security requirements that are best suited to be incorporated into the RDN’s WSML Application Guide and authorized under the facility license;
  • Limiting the scope of the WSML Bylaw to only those areas requiring Minister approval and removes section like illegal dumping and fee provisions to be included in new separate bylaws; and
  • Aligning with RDN’s direction to support existing and creation of new bylaws including the Mandatory Source Separation and Waste Hauler Licensing bylaws to meet the goal and objectives of the approved Solid Waste Management Plan.

How you can find out more or provide feedback:

  • Register (tab at the top right of this page) to be kept up-to-date with progress on this project through our electronic communications and provide us your thoughts using the feedback tab below.
  • Explore this webpage to find out more about the project. Staff reports and other documents can be accessed in the document library.
  • Ask us a question in the Q & A tab below and we will respond


*If you would like your feedback included in the report to the Regional Board and in the final submission to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, please have all feedback submitted by September 30, 2020.

Do you have a question for the RDN in regard to this project. If so, please ask us here.

Q&A

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    Has a location been found to recycle glass, plastic, and styrofoam in the Parksville/Qualicum area? Our previous location stopped accepting these materials in February, 2020. Our option is to drive approximately 40 km to Nanaimo to recycle these items, but unfortunately, myself and my neighbours have resorted to throwing these items in the garbage instead of an 80km round-trip to recycle them. I estimate 1/2 of my garbage bin is plastic wrappers, glass, and styrofoam which is all going into the landfill.

    Nate D asked 2 months ago

     Thanks for reaching out! The Parksville Depot is a private facility and has chosen to not collect materials on behalf of Recycle BC.  The RDN could move to fix this service gap by accepting this material at the Church Road Transfer Station, however Recycle BC is charged with the responsibly of  providing this service for free so they chose not to partner with the RDN. We do know that Recycle BC is working hard to find a replacement service.  Unfortunately, the province’s standard for depot accessibility is a 45 minute drive-time-to-depot.  We do not believe the 45 minute travel time is a reasonable benchmark and we believe that residents should be able to recycle items in the same communities that they purchase them so the RDN has been advocating strongly with both the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy and Recycle BC for a solution for this service gap in the Parksville/Qualicum Beach communities.   

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    I am just trying to find out how soon the separation of organics will be required in Strata complexes in Nanaimo. I believe some of the changes to the bylaw are meant to move that forward, but I'm not sure how or when...

    jhemingway asked 3 months ago

    What you're referring to is the Mandatory Waste Source Separation program in our Solid Waste Management Plan, which is different from this program here.  We are currently working on our Bylaw for Mandatory Waste Source Separation which will need to be approved by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) before we go forward.  We hope to have approval from the MoECC some time next year.  If you are in an apartment building though, you can always get ahead of the game and work with your strata and the contractor that does your collection to get food waste and recycling collection for your building.  If you have any other questions, reach out to me at sbajwa@rdn.bc.ca 

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    Hi, where do we provide our input? A number of people are not clear on the process as the advice above is to register and 'provide us your throughts'. TIA

    curlyq asked 5 months ago

    Hello, when we said to register, we were referring to the Webinar, sorry about the confusion.  If would like to provide feedback, you can do so by entering it into the feedback tab or you can email us directly.