The Recycling & Waste Management Division of the Engineering and Environmental Services Department is responsible for managing the disposal of solid waste for the entire region as well as many garbage and recycling collection systems and facilities in the Cowichan Valley.
The CVRD adopted the Zero Waste Initiative in 2002 as a challenge and principle for developing a sustainable economy as we learn how to decrease consumption and turn our current waste into new resources.
Zero Waste focuses on reducing the region's environmental footprint by minimizing the amount of waste that must be land-filled through reduction, reuse and recycling. It's a great direction to be headed in and the closer we get the better. The CVRD has already achieved a 65% recycling rate and cut our garbage volume in half in the last 15 years. Zero Waste is not that far off!