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Our region has many programs to help keep reusable and recyclable items out of the waste stream. But what happens to the items that aren’t diverted? It turns out that our region’s garbage has a long journey ahead of itself once it leaves our homes and businesses.
Before leaving the region, all garbage passes through the Resource Recovery Centre (RRC), our region’s central transfer station. Whether it arrives through self-haul from Lund, municipal curbside collection from Westview, or private waste haul from Texada Island, all garbage is screened and compacted before being loaded into specialized shipping containers.
The journey from the RRC begins with a 3 km haul by truck to a barge terminal in Townsite. From there, the container travels 140 km by barge to the Lower Mainland, where it’s transported once again by truck to a rail yard 19 km away.
Next comes the longest leg of the journey: a 750 km train ride south across the Canada-US border to Roosevelt, Washington. Once unloaded, the container travels another 7 km by truck to the landfill, where the garbage is finally unloaded for disposal. The empty container then begins the journey in reverse to be filled at the RRC once again.
While road trips can make for an exciting holiday, the 919 km journey taken by our trash has significant environmental and financial costs. We can all help reduce these impacts by buying less, reusing what we can, and recycling properly, so that the only items making this long journey are those that absolutely must!
