Project Overview

The RDKB is updating the region’s Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP) along with Sperling Hansen Associates to guide waste avoidance, reduction, and management for the next 10 years. The current SWMP, approved in 2005, requires updating to:

• Set the legal framework for managing waste, recycling, and waste reduction/diversion

• Evaluate how current systems are performing

• Recommend improvements, including opportunities to move toward zero waste

The SWMP update (completion expected summer 2027) will be shaped by:

• Engagement with:

  • Members of the public

  • Interested parties (e.g., organizations and businesses)

  • A Public and Technical Advisory Committee

  • Other government agencies (e.g., school districts, member municipalities)

  • First Nations
    See the next section for more details about engagement.

• Direction from RDKB staff and elected officials

• Review of past work including successes and lessons learned from the 2005 SWMP and the 2013 update process (paused due to regulatory changes)

• Leading practices from other jurisdictions

• Provincial requirements under the Environmental Management Act (EMA) and the provincial Guide to Solid Waste Management Planning (Ministry of Environment, 2016), including:

  • Solid waste management principles

  • The pollution prevention hierarchy

  • A circular economy approach
    See the Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

Engagement by Project Phase

Engagement is essential to ensuring the updated SWMP meets the needs of the region. The phases and timelines below outline the project’s engagement activities.

Stay tuned to RDKB channels— Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn,—and watch/listen for newspaper and radio advertisements for upcoming public engagement opportunities.

Read our launch press release on our news page: RDKB Latest News

Phase 1: Set the Direction

Winter 2025 – Spring 2026

Activities include:

• Collecting population and growth projection data

• Creation of Public and Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) - Applications closed Jan 9th

• Gathering public input on:

  • Draft principles and goals

  • What has worked and what has not

  • Ideas for future strategies

Phase 2: Evaluate Options

Summer 2026

Activities include:

• Identifying feasible strategies

• Evaluating their potential for inclusion in the updated SWMP

• Gathering public input on the list of potential strategies

Phase 3: Plan Preparation and Submission

Winter–Spring 2027

Activities include:

• Finalizing the SWMP with public input

• Submitting the completed plan to the Minister for approval

• Formal adoption and implementation by the RDKB once approved