Featured Image

Environmental Services

Disposal Fees

Sub-regional User Fee Schedules & Bylaws

Not sure which waste sub-region you live in? Check the MAP

Changes to Tipping Fees – effective May 1, 2025

Please be aware of the upcoming changes to tipping fees at all Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) Resource Recovery Facilities. The changes are captured in an amendment (Bylaw No. 3011) to Resource Recovery Facilities Regulatory Bylaw No. 2961, 2025, to increase the disposal fee for Contaminated Wood Waste, Rubble, Waste Soil, and Uncontaminated Soil. Additionally, the material “Yard & Garden Waste: Loads ≤ 2.5 m3 will be eliminated. These changes will come in to effect May 1, 2025.

Price changes are as follows:

MATERIALCURRENT PRICEPRICE AS OF MAY 1, 2025
Contaminated Wood Waste$86.75/tonne or $34.50/m3$166.50/tonne or $40.00/m3
Rubble$58.50/tonne or $87.75/m3$166.50/tonne or $87.75/m3
Waste Soil$53.25/tonne$66.00/tonne
Uncontaminated Soil$24.00/tonne or $36.00/m3$28.50/tonne or $42.50/m3

The RDCK can no longer make a beneficial end-product with Contaminated Wood Waste (which contains any combination of paint, stains, glues, plastics, preservatives or composites). That wood will now be directed to bins (in pieces no more than 4’ in length) for landfilling with all other mixed waste. The tipping fee for Clean Wood Waste (which can contain nails and screws but must be free of paints, stains, glues, plastics, preservatives, or manufactured lumber) will not change.

These changes are aligned with recommendations in a Systems Efficiency Study commissioned by RDCK in 2024 to assess tipping fee cost recovery. The study found that costs to manage many materials exceeded revenues recovered by current tipping fees.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why are the prices changing for only some materials?

        The changes detailed above are aligned with recommendations in a Systems Efficiency Study, conducted by GHD Limited, and commissioned by RDCK in 2024 to assess tipping fee cost recovery. The study found that costs to manage many materials exceeded revenues recovered by current tipping fees. 

        2. What is the difference between “Contaminated Wood Waste” and Clean Wood Waste?

        Clean Wood Waste is kiln-dried dimensional lumber such as wood pallets which is free of paints, stains, glues, plastics, preservatives or composites (e.g., dimensional lumber using glue or adhesives such as particleboard, oriented strand board, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), and plywood). It must not be mixed with wire, fiberglass, asphalt, melamine, paper backings, and other non-wood materials; and must not exceed 2′ in width or and 8′ in length at any point.

        Contaminated Wood Waste can contain paints, stains, glues, plastics, and preservatives composites but must not exceed 4′ in length (so that it can fit in the bin).

        3. Why the huge difference in tipping fees for these two types of wood?

        The costs to manage wood waste are significantly higher than the revenues they bring in. Wood grinding, for example costs the regions hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, and Contaminated Wood does not currently have a viable end-use; this has resulted in a major surplus of wood chip piles at RDCK sites. The stockpiles use up valuable space, and pose a significant fire risk.  

        4. What will the RDCK do to manage these materials now?

        In order to reduce processing costs and manage fire risk, Contaminated Wood Waste will not be ground up, and will instead be landfilled until a viable end-use can be secured.  

        Alternatively, Clean Wood Waste (lumber such as wood pallets that are free of paint, plastic, preservatives, fiberglass, Asphalt Roofing Material, melamine etc.) is accepted at a much lower tipping fee, and will be ground in to chips, to be used for landfill operations such as road repair and septage management.  

        5. Will there be changes to where I tip wood waste?

        Yes. Contaminated Wood Waste will now be directed to the Mixed Waste bin at most sites, in pieces no more than 4’ in length. Clean Wood Waste will be directed to bins, where wood waste bins exist, and to wood waste piles at larger sites.

        6. What other price changes are taking place May 1?

        The price of Rubble (gravel, brick, Concrete, Asphalt, and rock or a mixture thereof) had a lower tipping fee of $58.50/tonne, as the material was stockpiled and used at facilities for road building. Due to the small quantities received, however, rubble usually gets landfilled with garbage which makes storage and processing of this material costly and inefficient. Rubble will now be $166.50/tonne, the same as Mixed Waste.

        Some soil is needed for landfill cover material, however accepting too much soil consumes valuable landfill airspace. Consequently a price increase will be seen for both Waste soil ($66.00/tonne) and Uncontaminated Soil ($28.50/tonne) for improved cost recovery of the life cycle costs of the landfill, as is done in mixed waste pricing. 

        7. Why is RDCK getting rid of the “per load” category for Yard and Garden Waste?

        Any disposals of Yard and Garden waste, larger than two containers will be charged tonnage or volume depending on the site. A container is a bag or bin of yard and garden waste up to 121 L in size. The “per load” category (up to 2.5 m3 in volume), is difficult to determine visually, especially when traffic is heavy in spring and fall, which was resulting in under-charging of loads that should have been charged by weight or volume.

        Customers will not be required to bring Yard and Garden Waste in Containers. Site Staff can roughly estimate whether the amount of materials is exceeding the volume of two Containers (240 Litres) and, if so, apply the “per tonne” or “per volume” rate. 

        It is important to remember that the RDCK subsidizes two months of free yard and garden disposal for all residents at significant revenue loss. 

        On January 16, 2025 the RDCK Board of Directors approved a 10% increase on all tipping fees at all RDCK Landfills and Transfer Stations which came into effect on February 1, 2025.

        The price change is driven by significant increases to operating costs in recent years, including fuel, labour, insurance, supplies, more stringent regulatory requirements, and increased borrowing repayment costs.

        The RDCK is committed towards operating “user pay” facilities, meaning those who generate waste pay for its disposal.  Tipping fees should cover 100% of the costs to manage the waste in a sustainable user pay system. Funds collected through tipping fees have not been fully covering operating costs. The shortfall is made up through taxation, which impacts everyone regardless of individual waste generated.

        In addition, sufficient reserve funds will be required to minimize borrowing costs and fund a number of long-term projects such as landfill upgrades and closure costs, and infrastructure replacement.

        Further details are outlined in the 10 Year Financial Plan Summary (Schedule B) in the RDCK’s Resource Recovery Plan.  Questions or concerns can be directed to RRDept@rdck.bc.ca.

        The RDCK completed an efficiency study of the Resource Recovery system in 2025. The purpose of the Study was to:

        1. Assess cost recovery of tipping fees to:
          • Understand the costs of managing specific waste types and how much of these costs are currently covered by tipping fees versus taxation;
          • Ensure that the balance between tipping fees and taxation is fair and equitable;
        2. Benchmark the Resource Recovery system to determine if the RDCK is over or under-serviced, both internally (between sub-regions) and externally (compared to similar regional districts); and,
        3. Identify options to recognize efficiencies and improve cost-effectiveness and equitability, while ensuring regulatory compliance.

        A data model was created to assess tipping fee cost recovery and completed a benchmarking assessment comparing service levels in the RDCK both internally and externally. The results of these assessments were used to evaluate the performance and efficiency of the system as a whole, as well as for each sub-region.

        In November and December 2024, Staff presented the results of the study to the RDCK Board of Directors, along with a plan for how the recommendations from the study would be implemented in coming years.

        Links to the study and the accompanying RDCK Staff reports, presented to the RDCK Board of Directors, are below:

        1.  Why is the price per Container different in the Central Sub-region, (Grohman (Nelson), Central (Salmo), Balfour, Kaslo, Marblehead, and Ymir)?

        The Central Sub-Region does not operate an active landfill, but hosts the busiest Transfer Station in the region (Grohman Narrows), and as a result has some of the highest operating costs for transfer of waste.

        2.  Why doesn’t RDCK just waive tipping fees and pay for everything through taxes?

        • RDCK is committed to a User-Pay system: A fully tax-funded system does not incentivize waste diversion (i.e. encourage anyone to recycle or compost; in the long run this reduces the life of our regional landfills). A user-pay system places the burden of the costs on those who generate waste instead of on all taxpayers.
        • Recycle BC Depots have no tipping fees: The RDCK’s 12 Core Recycle BC depots are meant to be primarily funded by Recycle BC, an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program, in which contributions from the producers of printed paper and packaging, such as retailers, pay for the recycling of these materials. Current Recycle BC funding does not fully cover the operating costs of these depots, nor does it cover any costs for RDCK’s Satellite Depots, so the balance is funded through taxation. RDCK Staff and Directors continue to lobby for increased Recycle BC funding to fully cover the operating costs of the Core Depots.
        • Non-EPR recyclable materials that are disposed at landfills and transfer stations (e.g., clean wood and metal) have significantly lower tipping fees, as they are NOT landfilled. 

        3.  How can Customers keep their disposal costs manageable?

        • Increase your diversion: Take advantage of the growing number of items that can be recycled or composted.
          • Source-Separate from your garbage: There are a number of items, such as clean wood, metal etc. that have lower disposal fees than garbage.
          • Our Salmo, Grohman, Ootischenia and Creston sites all accept Organic Waste for composting at a lower rate than garbage.
          • RDCK is trialing ways to encourage more organic waste:
            • Residential customers disposing of containers (up to 121L) of organic waste, get the first container free, if they bring it in with at least one container of garbage.
            • Tipping fees for organic waste, SOURCED FROM BUSINESSES, SUCH AS RESTAURANTS, GROCERY STORES ETC now have a lower tipping fee of $50/tonne (less than half regular price) for all of 2025. This does not apply to commercial haulers brining in organic waste from municipal curbside programs.
        • Home Composting: While the RDCK accepts organic waste for composting at a lower rate than garbage at the Central (Salmo), Ootischenia, Grohman and Creston facilities, household composting is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to significantly reduce the volume and odours of your waste. There are options for every situation including systems that do not attract animals and are capable of composting meats and kitchen scraps, such as Bokashi composting.
        • Bigger disposal bags or containers can be more cost effective: Rather than bringing in small bags or containers, maximize the value of your disposals by using 121L bags or containers. If possible, bring in larger loads of household garbage to scaled sites and pay by weight. Consider sharing disposal costs with people in your area.

        Contact Information

        250.352.8161

        RRDept@rdck.bc.ca