Recycling
Depot recycling
Find a Recycle BC depot
Find a Recycle-It Resource Recovery depot
The Peace River Regional District offers depot recycling through Recycle-It Resource Recovery and Recycle BC to provide services to the entire region. The depots allow residents to drop off a variety of materials for free, and most depots accept all our materials including paper, packaging, cardboard boxes, plastic containers, metal containers, cartons and paper cups, non-deposit glass bottles and jars, foam packaging, and flexible plastics. Please review the guide below for accepted materials.
Flexible plastics, foam packaging (e.g. Styrofoam) and non-deposit glass (in communities without separated curbside glass collection) can only be returned to a depot for recycling.
More items now accepted through RecycleBC
As of January 1, 2023 single-use and packaging-like products can now be recycled from home or depot through RecycleBC’s residential packaging and paper recycling program.
The items outlined in the below guide can be recycled with containers, paper or at the depot. Please continue to rinse your containers and soft plastics before recycling.
Find a participating depot
Learn more about the new recycling items
Where does my recycling go?
We get asked this question a lot. All material from the PRRD is shipped out via backhaul, filling up trucks that would be heading south empty otherwise. Click through the slideshow below to learn more!
Information provided by Recycle-It Resource Recovery based on materials they process on behalf of the PRRD.
Residential & Commercial Fees
Seasonal cleanup
Fees for solid waste, recycling and other materials are based on weight or volume depending on the site you are visiting. Cash, debit, Mastercard and Visa are accepted at our landfills and transfer stations. Tipping fees for self-hauled, sorted waste that is brought to any of the PRRD landfills and transfer stations are waived from June 6 to June 19 and October 3 to 16 for seasonal cleanup.
Sorting saves you money
Your waste disposal charge will fluctuate depending on the amount of recyclable materials you remove and recycle before visiting the landfill. This activity is referred to as waste diversion. When waste is diverted away from the landfill into streams that convert would-be waste into repurposed or recycled materials, it eases the burden on existing landfills and extends their usable life.
To encourage customers to sort out recyclable and prohibited materials, fees increased in March 2022 for unsorted/mixed waste by 76% and 5% for sorted waste.
For money-saving waste diversion tips please review these materials:
Commercial waste diversion
Residential waste diversion
Weight-based fees (in effect March 1, 2022)
Applies to the following sites with scales:
- Bessborough
- Chetwynd
- Dawson Creek transfer station
- North Peace Regional landfill
- Prespatou transfer station
| *REGULAR WASTE (charged by the tonne unless noted) |
| Waste Type |
Residential Fees |
Commercial Fees
|
| Minimum Fee |
$3.75 |
$4.00 |
| (5) Garbage bags or less |
$0.80/bag |
$1.00/bag |
| Sorted household & commercial |
$55.00 |
$60.00 |
| Metal |
$55.00 |
$60.00 |
| Wood |
$55.00 |
$60.00 |
| Domestic animal carcasses |
$55.00 |
$60.00 |
| Tires (light-duty, no rims) |
$55.00 |
$60.00 |
| Unsorted regular waste |
$110.00 |
$200.00 |
| All other regular waste |
$55.00 |
$60.00 |
*Receipts must be issued, ask the attendant for additional information.
All cash transactions will be rounded to the nearest $0.05 |
| CONTROLLED WASTE (charged by the tonne unless noted) |
| Waste Type |
Residential Fees |
Commercial Fees
|
| Minimum Fee |
$10.00 |
$11.00 |
| Household appliances |
$55.00 |
$60.00 |
Concrete
(>15cm piece size, no soil or gravel) |
$55.00 |
$60.00 |
| Clean uncrushed steel & plastic drums (lids removed) |
$55.00
+$3.50/drum |
$60.00
+$3.50/drum |
| Tires (medium-duty, no rims) |
$55.00 |
$60.00 |
| Tires (industrial-duty, no rims) |
$55.00 |
$60.00 |
| Mixed demolition, land clearing & construction |
$110.00 |
$200.00 |
| Stripped vehicles |
$110.00 |
$120.00 |
| Unstripped vehicles |
$110.00
+$170.00/vehicle |
$120.00 |
| Clean Soil |
$5.00 |
NO CHARGE |
| Contaminated soil |
$5.00 |
$5.25 |
| Concrete rubble (>15cm piece size) |
NO CHARGE |
NO CHARGE |
| Unsorted controlled waste |
$110.00 |
$200.00 |
| All other controlled waste |
$110.00 |
$120.00 |
| RESTRICTED WASTE (charged by the tonne unless noted) |
| Waste Type |
Residential Fees |
Commercial Fees |
| Minimum Fee |
$22.00 |
$24.00 |
Specified risk material
(as identified by CFIA, permit required) |
$125.00 |
$135.00 |
| Wildlife & livestock animal carcasses |
$125.00 |
$135.00 |
| Loads containing >10% old corrugated cardboard |
$250.00 |
$450.00 |
| Lead acid batteries |
$55.00 |
$60.00 |
| Asbestos |
$150.00 |
$163.00 |
| Unsorted restricted waste |
$150.00 |
$272.00 |
| All other restricted waste |
$150.00 |
$163.00 |
Volume-based fees
Applied to the following sites without scales:
- Buick Creek
- Cecil Lake
- Goodlow
- Moberly Lake
- Rolla, Rose Prairie
- Tomslake
- Kelly Lake
- Wonowon
- Pink Mountain
- Upper Halfway
Oil and Gas Notice – Prohibited Waste
Apply for a landfill account
Apply for a landfill account by filling out the Commercial Solid Waste Credit Application and calling 1-800-670-7773.
Seasonal cleanup
All tipping fees for PRRD landfills and transfer stations are waived for the following seasonal cleanup campaigns:
Spring Cleanup
June 5 to June 18, 2023
Fall Cleanup
October 2 to October 15, 2023
Cleanup (landfill) coupons
Each residence in the Peace River Regional District is entitled to cleanup coupons that are valid from May 1 to April 30 each year. If you have not already received your coupon validation number in the mail by mid-May, you may contact the Regional District to request your coupon. Present your coupon validation number at any of the PRRD’s landfills or transfer stations to access four computer coupons. Each computer coupon value is equal to $13.75 and entitles disposal of up to 250 KG or 2 m3 of eligible, sorted, residential waste.
Accepted items for seasonal cleanup
*All waste for seasonal cleanup must be self-hauled; commercial drop-offs and other such arrangements are not permitted.
FAQs
Click question to expand
Impacted Soils
Where do I take impacted soil?
Impacted soils are accepted at the following landfills
- Bessborough
- Chetwynd
- North Peace
What is considered “impacted” soil?
Any soil that comes from industry or properties where contaminates have the potential to impact soil. Prior approval from the PRRD is required and is based on the criteria set out in the
Impacted Soils Protocol.
Where do I take clean soil?
Any clean soil is accepted free of charge at any of the three regional landfills and is considered any soil that comes from untouched land.
Landfills
How many landfills are there in the Peace River Regional District?
There are three landfills within the Peace River Regional District. One located near Fort St. John, one located 16km west of Dawson Creek, and one located in Chetwynd. For more information on hours and locations
click here.
Who operates the landfills?
While the landfills are managed by the Peace River Regional District, all three landfills are operated by the same contractor, E360s.
How much does it cost to operate a landfill?
Depending on the landfill, the operation budget is between $580,000.00 and $1,695,000.00. This cost includes the contractor supplied equipment and qualified staff to operate and properly manage landfill operations. Landfill operations include attendant services, site management, constructing cells, compacting waste, and covering waste.
How do I apply for a landfill account??
Apply for a landfill account by filling out the
Commercial Solid Waste Credit Application and calling 1-800-670-7773.
Why does it cost $15 for a printout receipt?
This is service fee for utilizing a Peace River Regional District infrastructure (scale) without using the facility to drop off waste. The cost is for use of the scale to weigh the material in question and to be provided with a scale ticket without using the facility.
Why does the region need a Landfill Gas (LFG) system?
Landfills operate under the authority of a Waste Management Permit that is issued by the Ministry of Environment (MOE). In 2009, the MOE enacted the Landfill Gas Management Regulation to support the local government’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) by at least 33% below the current levels by 2020. Within this Regulation, province-wide criteria were established for landfill gas capture from municipal solid waste landfills. Under this Regulation, the PRRD was required to conduct a gas generation assessment of the North Peace Regional Landfill to determine if a gas management facility needed to be installed at the site. The PRRD conducted the assessment; it was revealed that the landfill exceeds the 1000 tonnes/year regulatory threshold for methane production, requiring the installation of a gas management system by the year 2012.In December 2014, the LFG System at the North Peace Regional Landfill was commissioned and began operating in March of 2015. This project took several years to complete and the cost was offset by funding opportunities through the Federal Gas Tax Fund. The initial LFG system consisted of several horizontal wells that were buried within the older waste.
In 2018, the LFG system was expanded in “fresher” waste within Phase 2 of the landfill, where 7 vertical wells were installed and tied into the existing system.
The LFG system will be expanded again with Phase 2 where more vertical wells will be installed within the waste.
Transfer Stations
How many transfer stations are in the Peace River Regional District?
There are 16 attended transfer stations and there are 13 unattended transfer stations. For more information on hours and locations
click hereHow much does it cost to build a transfer station?
The cost to construct a transfer station varies. It depends on location and type of sites (Tier 2 vs Tier1). Generally the cost is approximately $300,000 to $500,000 to construct.
How much does it cost to operate a transfer station?
Based on a 26 hour work week, the operational budget is between, $110,000 to $120,000 per year. Variables in the operational cost depends on hauling.
Why are the Rural Transfer Stations only open 26 hours instead of 30?
The operational schedule for these sites were approved by the Regional District Board when the first sites came on line. If residents are unhappy with current operation hours they can contact the Regional District and staff can look at shifting hours. This has been done at a few sites already.
How much money does Secure Energy get to operate the Rural Transfer Stations?
Secure Ener receives approximately $110,000 to $120,000 to operate the rural transfer station. These prices includes supplying an attendant during operational hours and hauling services for the bins in which the materials are collected.
Who operates the share shed?
The share sheds are developed and managed by the Regional District. This is a program that the Regional District developed and put in place. The attendants at the transfer stations (Contractor’s personnel), operate them on behalf of the Peace River Regional District.
Will the attendant help unload material from my vehicle?
It is not a requirement of attendants to unload resident’s vehicles, however most will.
What type of transfer stations are left to be constructed and where?
There are 6 transfer stations left to be constructed to complete the network. All six of these will be Tier 2 Transfer Stations the locations will be in Doig/Milligan/Osborn, Lebell, Progress (by Highway 29), Groundbirch, Hasler Flats, and Lone Prairie.
What is the difference between a Tier 1 and Tier 2 Transfer Station?
The following chart shows what each transfer stations offer:
| Tier 1 |
Tier 2 |
| Share Shed |
| Household Garbage |
| Recycling – Recycle BC Program of Printed Paper and Packaging |
| Bulky Waste |
|
| Metal |
|
| Wood Waste |
|
| Tires |
|
| Plaint Plus (Only at Prespatou Transfer Station) |
|
| Electronics Recycling (Pilot at Wonowon, Prespatou, and Tomslake Transfer Stations. |
|
Are Landfills and Transfer Stations open on holidays?
The landfills and transfer stations are opened all holidays expect Christmas Day (December 25) and New Year’s Day (January 1). The aim is to keep the sites open and accessible during the other holidays for customers who wish to use them.
The lights at the sites are always on, who do I contact when this happens?
The lights at the site are on a timer and if there is power bump or outage the lights need to be reset. The attendants are trained to reset set them, so you can speak to them, or you can contact the PRRD at 250-782-3200.
Illegal Dumping
How is illegal dumping reported/managed?
If you witness illegal dumping on crown land call the RAPP (Report all Poachers and Polluters) Line at 1-877-952-7277 or Cell Dial #7277 or
click here.
What happens to the person who illegally dumps waste?
If a person illegally dumps waste on Peace River Regional District property, under By-Law enforcement they can be fined $200 dollars. If a personal illegally dumps on Crown Land, the Ministry of Environment must be contacted via the RAPP Line. Conservation Officers then have the ability to fine the person. If illegal dumping is not reported and tracked then nothing can be done.
Coupons
I didn’t get my coupons, how do I get them?
If you did not receive your coupons and would like them, call the Peace River Regional District at 250-784-3200 and they can be mailed to you.
Can I pick up my neighbours/friends coupons for them?
Unfortunately you cannot. You can only pick up your own coupons.
Waste Disposal
How much money does it cost per kilo to process the waste?
To determine the cost per kilo is a much larger question. Generally landfill cost are calculated by determining landfill lifecycle costs. This cost looks at everything from constructing the landfill, to operation, and closure of the entire system. For the Peace River Regional District the landfill life cycle cost are approximately $53m3 or $78.60/tonne.
Why is there an additional fee for some materials (tires, batteries, etc.) at the Peace River Regional District sites, while there are places in town that takes them for free and gives you money?
The Peace River Regional District is not financially supported by all Stewardship Agencies in the Province, which would normally fund the processing and “hauling away” of these materials. Simply, the PRRD does not receive money to collect and process some materials (batteries/tires) hence the tipping fee. The tipping helps to cover the cost associated with the PRRD and our Contractors for managing that material. It is recognized that there are private businesses that will take these materials and as such the pRRRdy Says app was developed to help located these places. The app can be downloaded on your phone or
accessed here.
Can a community hall get a waiver for tipping fees for events and activities held?
Unfortunately you cannot. There is no formal policy for staff to waive the tipping fees for community hall functions. Such a request would have to come from an Area Director and be approved by the Regional Board.
When do the bulky bins arrive at the Tier 2 Transfer Stations?
The bulky bins are placed during the spring and fall for a two-week period for seasonal cleanup. For 2022, the spring cleanup runs from June 6 to June 19 and for fall, the cleanup runs from October 3 to October 16.
Why can’t we have the bulky bins during a different time of year or something, instead of seeding and harvesting?
The simple fact is that there is no “good time” for putting out these bins. The process for getting bids for available contractors to provide the best price take time and has to be planned well in advance. Setting the bins out in May and October long weekends offers consistency in that people can plan their bigger clean-up projects around these times more easily.
For 2020 the PRRD will be piloting the 2020 Spring Clean-Up later in the spring and for the 2020 Fall Clean-Up the bins will arrive earlier in October. For 2020 Spring Clean-Up will occur the first two weeks of June – June 1 to June 14, 2020. For the Fall 2020 Clean-Up will occur the first two weeks of October – October 5 to October 18, 2020.
Recycling
Who gets the money for the recycling collected at the rural transfer stations?
The rural transfer stations operate the Recycle BC recycling program, a provincial stewardship program. The Peace River Regional District receives the revenue that is generated from the recycling collected. In 2017, the PRRD received $3,634.92 in revenue from Recycle BC material.
Who is Recycle BC?
Retailers, manufacturers, and other organizations that supply packaging and printed paper to BC residents are responsible for collecting and recycling these materials once residents are finished with them. This is called extended producer responsibility, or EPR. Recycle BC is a non-profit organization that uses fees paid by these organizations to finance residential recycling programs in many areas across BC. These programs are either offered directly or collaboratively with local governments, First Nations, private companies and other non-profit organizations. Recycle BC is among more than 20 EPR programs introduced in BC over the past two decades. Through these programs the manufacturers and retailers of items such as beverage containers, electronics, paint, used oil, tires and batteries are responsible for end-of-life management. EPR is a way for businesses to manage the environmental impact of products during each stage of the products lifecycle, from selecting the materials used in production through to collection and recycling of the product when it is no longer useful.
Who gets the money for recycling at the landfills?
At the landfills there is no revenue received for tires that are collected, however, Tire Stewardship will pick up and haul away the tires for free to where they are recycled. Wood waste is chipped and used operationally for cover material and to help construct roads. Metal waste is collected and the revenue gained goes to the contractor as part of their operating contract. Cardboard and household recycling is collected by the Regional District’s recycling contractor processed and marketed through that contract, in which a part of the contract revenue from that material is given back to the RD.
Why do “we” pay for recycling?
The act of recycling costs money. There are costs to collect the material, to transfer/haul the material, and to process the material so that in can be used in new products. Even with the cost, recycling is better for the environment because it maximizes the use of resources that have already been extracted from the Earth. Additionally is helps to save space in the landfill!
If recycling has value, why doesn’t the value cover the cost of service?
The revenue paid for recycling fluctuates constantly depending on markets. This is because recycling is a commodity like many other things.
How is household recycling, collected at the transfer stations and sites?
It varies depending where you recycle.
Rural Transfer Stations: Household recycling collected through the Recycle BC program is hauled two different ways. 1. The big bins (50 and 40 yard bins) are hauled by the transfer station contractor. 2. The mega bags are hauled by a third party contractor that Recycle BC manages.
Recycling Depots: Recycling is collected in various totes. The recycling contractor collects that materials from the bins and empties them into a truck with three compartments. The front compartment is where the glass is deposited. The second compartment is where the hard plastic and tin are deposited. Separately, the loosely collected plastic film is placed in large bags. These large bags make it easy to separate from the hard plastic once the material is deposited on the floor at the recycle centre. The last compartment is where the paper goes. Cardboard is collected via a third party contractor from the cardboard bins.
What are the different streams of recycling?
Depending where you recycle there are different items and materials that can be recycled. This is because there are two different recycling programs operated in the RD. At the Rural Transfer Stations, household printed paper and packaging material are collected, processed, and marketed by Recycle BC for recycling. If you recycle in town (curbside or depot) or use one of the unattended recycling depots (Mile 54, No Frills, etc.) then that material is collected, processed, and marketed by the Regional District Recycling Contractor. The following images provides an example:
What happens to:
Mixed Paper
Mixed paper is baled and shipped to sorting facilities in Edmonton or Vancouver. Once sorted, it is sent to various processors including a processor in Greater Vancouver for new egg carton manufacturing, and a processor in Alberta that makes insulation.
Cardboard
Cardboard is shipped to mills in the Pacific Northwest, mainly in Washington State. This material is pulped and reprocessed into new cardboard.
Containers
Containers are shipped to a processor in Greater Vancouver, Merlin Plastics. This processor also handles materials from the RecycleBC EPR program. High value plastics such as #1 PET and #2 HDPE are washed and ground/pelletized before being sold as material to make new products. Mixed hard plastics are also sorted, cleaned and processed into grind/pellets. Tetra-Paks and wax cartons are processed by Merlin and shipped to recyclers in North America and overseas to be pulped. “Soft plastics” including plastic bags and overwrap (#2 and #4 films) are pelletized and used in the manufacturing of plastic lumber.
Styrofoam
Styrofoam is densified locally with a thermal hot melt densifier. The thermal densifier heats up and removes the air from the styrofoam. This results in a 90:1 compression – 90 truckloads of foam are reduced to 1 truckload! The densified blocks are then shipped to a processor in Greater Vancouver where they are pelletized and used to make picture frames and crown moulding.
Metals
Metals are shipped to ABC Recycling in Fort St John. From there, they are sent to various processors in North America to be made into new metal products, including packaging and sheet metal.
Glass
Glass is shipped to a processing facility in Quesnel where it is ground up and turned into sandblasting material. The sandblasting material is used locally by businesses in the Peace Region as well as across BC and Alberta.
Commingled Curbside
Commingled curbside material is shipped to facilities in Edmonton and Vancouver to be sorted into the above categories. Once sorted, the material is shipped to various processors for recycling (see specific categories above for more info).
Don’t see your question? Contact environmental services
