Whether it’s due to laziness, a lack of knowledge about the services available, or to just save a few bucks, illegal dumping is a real concern in the Cowichan Valley Regional District.
The CVRD is trying to raise awareness about the options available to residents and visitors to the Cowichan Valley, through recycling depots and transfer stations.
Environmental Technologist Chloe Boyle said there are very cheap options to dispose of your garbage and recycling properly.
“There are residents and visitors in our region who may not realize that there’s low cost or free disposal options within the region,” said Boyle. “People have a mindset that it’s easier to dump the material on a forestry road and it will be less expensive than actually bringing it to drop off at a transfer station or depot.”
Illegal dumping includes dropping off everything from yard waste, appliances, abandoned mattresses, and building supplies in non-designated areas and often times, these items find their way onto logging roads, public parks, or rural properties.
Boyle said illegal dumping isn’t worth the risk when there are easy to use, cheap options available.
“It would just be so much easier for people to go and drop it off at one of our recycling centres or transfer stations, it would actually be less time consuming and less expensive,” said Boyle. “When you factor in the risk of getting caught for illegal dumping, which can have fines of up to two thousand dollars.”
There are five community clean-ups coming up in the CVRD, click here for those details.
If you see illegal dumping or the signs of it, call the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277 or on your cell to #7277.
Click here for a list of recycling centres and depots.
