Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) Recycling Centres will no longer accept drywall due to health and safety concerns associated with asbestos exposure.
Asbestos can be found in drywall mud and tape and is common in buildings built prior to 1990.
Exposure to asbestos can cause serious illnesses such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. This is why WorkSafe BC has strict rules for the demolition and disposal of drywall, as well as other materials that may contain asbestos.
Annually, the CVRD serves over 200,000 customers at its three recycling centres. Compared to other recycling services provided, the drywall portion of the operation is small. However, the amount of CVRD resources required to manage drywall has been significant.
“Eliminating drywall from the recycling centres will reduce the cost associated with remediating and landfilling asbestos contaminated material ($10,000 for 2017); and, save approximately $2,500 in hauling costs, as hauling drywall to [Fisher Road Recycling] will no longer be necessary,” noted a staff report on the issue. “In addition, the staff resources required to manage the drywall program can be allocated to other areas of need.”
The CVRD did away with its drywall disposal program in November as part of a service delivery review.
Since mid-December, customers with drywall have been directed to private waste facilities that have the resources to manage drywall appropriately.
The CVRD had contracted Fisher Road Recycling to transport the material to the Lower Mainland for recycling. A health and safety provision allows them to cancel that arrangement.
“There are private companies already set up to handle it. They want to handle it,” Lefebure said. “We were not as well set up to take it and there were potential health issues with our workers and it just seemed that it made sense to not try and offer this service when it was covered off by other companies and when we couldn’t handle it very well within our facility.”
Drywall that is asbestos-free may be disposed of at the facilities listed below.
To be certified as asbestos-free, drywall must be date-stamped 1990 or later or be accompanied by a laboratory certificate.
Coast Environmental Ltd., Duncan
3015 Boys Road
T: 250.746.4573
Hours: Monday to Saturday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Coast Environmental Ltd., Chemainus
9401 Trans Canada Hwy
T: 250.246.3216
Hours: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Fisher Road Recycling, Cobble Hill
1355 Fisher Road
T: 250.733.2108
Hours: Monday to Saturday 8 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Asbestos-contaminated drywall or other asbestos-contaminated material may be disposed of at the Duncan Coast Environmental facility listed above or the Cedar Road Landfill in Nanaimo listed below. Residents must contact facilities prior to drop-off to ensure receiving requirements are met.
Cedar Road Regional Landfill
1105 Cedar Road, Nanaimo
T: 250.722.2044
Hours: Monday to Sunday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
For more information on asbestos and materials that may contain asbestos, visit: www.cvrd.bc.ca/asbestos-kills.