Staff Report to Council: Options for Better Waste Management

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

This report is in response to Council’s direction to explore options to better manage waste collection in Langford, as given at their regular meeting held on July 21, 2025. Staff collected and compared data, assessed the current challenges and limitations, conducted reviews and research, and explored the three main options for a residential curbside garbage collection service for properties of 1 to 4 units inclusive. Staff recommend proceeding with the municipally-contracted option, subject to consultant verification and public engagement. For public waste receptacles, staff recommend keeping them in the Roads Maintenance Contract with an increased level-of-service and consistent design going forward.

Staff are seeking Council direction on the following four key recommendations aimed at improving waste management services in Langford:

1. Increase the maximum level of service for public waste receptacle collection from 7 to 14 times per week, at the current contract unit rate, with no seasonal restrictions;
2. Adopt the proposed new style of waste receptacle and retrofit options to reduce wildlife attraction, discourage illegal dumping, and for asset consistency going forward;
3. Engage a consultant to:
   a. Review and verify the staff recommendation to proceed with a municipally-contracted residential curbside garbage collection service;
   b. Advise and support the public survey and key partner engagement conducted by staff;
   c. If verified, prepare and present a proposed scope for the Municipal Garbage Service Contract to Council for information prior to going to tender; and
4. Prepare a bylaw to regulate the storage, collection, and disposal of garbage and organic waste in accordance with the CRD’s Solid Waste Management Plan.

In combination, these recommendations provide immediate and long-term solutions to the growing concerns from residents and visitors regarding overflowing public bins, dumping of household waste, environmental protection, and the impact on roads, neighborhoods, and businesses.

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BACKGROUND:

On July 21, 2025, Council passed the following motion, directing staff to explore options to better manage waste collection in Langford:

WHEREAS the City of Langford does not operate a municipal garbage collection service, for residential and commercial pick up; waste collection is currently managed by private contractors and is non-mandatory;

AND WHEREAS overflowing garbage cans in public and shared spaces contribute to health risks, unsightliness, and negative environmental impacts;

AND WHEREAS improperly managed waste can attract wildlife, including bears, posing risks to both public safety and animal welfare;

AND WHEREAS residents and visitors have raised concerns about litter accumulation and inadequate waste management in high-traffic areas;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council direct staff to prepare a report outlining potential options to address and reduce overflowing garbage cans in public areas, including but not limited to:

• A data comparison of overflowing public waste receptacles over the past 5 years’;
• Assessing the current maintenance and servicing of public waste receptacles in parks, streetscapes, and transit stops;
• Reviewing potential partnerships with private waste service providers or supplementing with City staff to enhance collection in key locations;
• Options for an interim increase in level of service for existing public waste receptacles;
• Options for an increase in quantity or capacity/design change for public waste receptacles and recycling bins to reduce wildlife attraction and discourage the illegal practice of dumping household waste;
• Considering public awareness or signage initiatives to encourage responsible waste disposal and to minimize wildlife encounters;
• Supporting community-level pride and responsibility through education, volunteer programs, or beautification campaigns, in partnership with community organizations; and
• Exploring enhanced enforcement options, such as increased bylaw presence, fines for illegal dumping or littering, and signage to support compliance.

AND THAT Council direct staff to explore options for a municipal waste management service, grant funding or regional collaboration opportunities, and report back with recommendations for short-term improvements and long-term strategies that support greater solid-waste diversion and reduction.

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COMMENTARY:

Below, staff expand on the recommended options for better waste management at a high-level, focusing on the source of the issue and some key factors that lead to the recommendations. The report then takes a deeper dive into the data, assessments, and research that support the recommendations.

1. Overflowing Public Garbage Cans

The impetus of the motion for exploring options to better manage waste collection in Langford was the noticeable increase in overflowing public waste receptacles in the downtown core in the spring/summer of 2025. Staff and the City’s maintenance contractor (the Contractor) have investigated the contents of some of the overflowing public waste receptacles. The observation was a combination of dumping of household waste (e.g. grocery bags, cardboard boxes, large plastic trays, kitchen scraps, tin cans, glass jars, paper towels, wood boards, etc.) and an increase in regular handheld public waste (e.g. single use to-go containers, coffee cups, doggie bags, plastic drink bottles, aluminum drink cans, etc.).

The City has added an average of 13 public waste receptacles per year over the past 5 years (see Section 8 for the 5-year data comparison) but has not increased the maximum level-of-service, as it was not necessary until now. Staff and the Contractor work together to regularly adjust the level-of-service within the limits of the Roads Maintenance Contract (the Contract). The City’s Contractor is doing a good job servicing existing receptacles to the maximum limit of the Contract and have confirmed that they have the capacity to take on more. The Contractor has proactively installed a FOB system on the City’s public waste receptacles to accurately track collection data with GPS locating.

The problem is two-fold, the first problem is that the demand on public waste receptacles has exceeded the current Contract limit for servicing them and the demand is not likely to subside. With the continued increase in population, density, businesses, institutions, and transit, the number of pedestrians in the downtown core is expected to continue to increase and therefore the demand on public waste receptacles as well. However, while the issue may feel isolated to the downtown core, the map of instances of overflowing garbage cans in Appendix A shows that this is a city-wide problem. Currently, the range in level-of-service for any public waste receptacle in Langford is a minimum pickup of once per week (weekly), to a maximum of seven pickups per week (daily); see Section 6 for more information. It should also be noted that the daily pick-up option within the Contract is only during the months of April to September inclusive.

Staff, in collaboration with the Contractor, are recommending increasing the maximum level-of-service for public waste receptacle collection from 7 to 14 times per week (from daily to twice-daily), at the current contract unit rate. It is also recommended that Council authorize the Director of Engineering to adjust public waste receptacle collection frequency on any route, in any month, to override the seasonal restrictions in the Contract. These two recommendations alone will allow staff and the Contractor to effectively manage waste volumes as they fluctuate.

2. Dumping of Household Waste

The second problem is the misuse of the public waste receptacles for dumping of household waste. A garbage can is considered overflowing both when the garbage is overtopping the bin and when there is more garbage placed beside or around the receptacle than can fit in the bag at the time of pickup. While the design of a public waste receptacle is important for the many reasons (as explained in Section 7 of this commentary), it will never stop someone from simply placing a full bag of household garbage beside the bin. The question is, why are residents dumping household waste and how can we stop it?

Langford does not currently operate a municipal garbage collection service. Waste pickup is instead managed by private contractors on an open-market basis. Residents may independently subscribe to one of several private hauling firms for curbside trash and organics collection. The non-mandatory nature of arranging private garbage collection for every household can result in residents choosing not to enter into a private contract. This can then result in dumping of residential waste in public or commercial bins. While this may only apply to a small number of residents, repetitive dumping can have a negative impact on the neighbourhood.

3. Municipal Waste Management Options

As the City continues to grow, Council has directed staff to evaluate whether a more coordinated, controlled, and unified approach to waste management is needed. When comparing the option of developing an in-house residential waste collection service against the option of contracting out this service, the feasibility and timelines associated with the contracting option outweighed the benefits of an in-house service. It was also determined that a municipally-contracted residential curbside garbage collection service would best align with how the City of Langford operates. It is model that the City is familiar with and does not require significant up-front capital investment.

Through research, staff found that residents in Langford are likely paying more annually on average for a private garbage collection service, compared to other municipalities in B.C. that either have a municipally managed or contracted bi-weekly garbage collection service with added benefits (large item pick-up days, yard waste, etc.). The option of a municipally-contracted service will provide most of the benefits of an in-house service, and staff could have a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued and contract awarded within the next 8 months, with a transition and onboarding period for the residents and the service provider thereafter. Having a municipally-contracted residential curbside garbage collection service is the recommended solution for residential curbside waste management in Langford.

While a considerable amount of research was completed by staff to support this recommendation, staff recognize that there is more work to be done. Staff recommend engaging an experienced consultant to review and verify the staff recommendation to proceed with a municipally-contracted residential curbside garbage collection service. As part of the verification process, staff recommend conducting public and key partner engagement, advised and supported by the consultant.

If Council would like to proceed with going to tender for a sole service provider, the City will need the consultant to draft the RFP and contract. The consultant will be directed to take into consideration feasibility, phasing, and “what we heard” from the public and key partners. Staff would ensure that the scope of the Municipal Garbage Service Contract would be brought forward to Council for information prior to going to tender.

4. B.C. Municipal Waste Management Service Comparison

Below is a comparison of private (P), municipal (M), and municipally-contracted (MC) garbage collection services offered in each municipality in the Capital Regional District (CRD), as well as select comparable municipalities up-island and on the lower mainland of B.C.

Table 1: B.C. Municipal Waste Management Service Comparison*

Legend: P = Private, M = Municipal, MC = Municipally-Contracted, RDN = Regional District of Nanaimo

*Data was compiled from individual municipality websites and the CRD’s “Collection Services in Your Area” webpage, available at https://www.crd.ca/programs-services/garbage-recycling/collection-services-your-area
**Langford currently has an estimate population of 58,000 to 60,000 (2025)

This data demonstrates that the majority of municipalities with a population of 20,000 or more, have some level of control or involvement in garbage collection, whether it be a service run directly by the municipality or under a municipal contract.

Practically speaking, it will become increasingly more inefficient to have multiple garbage companies servicing the same street as the population increases. If there is no coordination between companies, this means that there may be garbage cans out on the street overnight several days in a bi-weekly period. This could attract more wildlife and rodents than if the garbage cans were only out once every two weeks on any singular street. Also, overlapping routes between multiple companies likely means more fuel consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, traffic congestion, and wear and tear on the road network. For these reasons and more explained in this report, it is recommended that the City proceed with a municipally-contracted residential curbside garbage collection service (subject to consultant verification).

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5. Waste Management Model Comparison

The following table summarizes the three main models for managing residential curbside garbage collection followed by an expanded explanation of each model.

Table 2: Waste Management Model Comparison

a. Individual Private Contracts (Status Quo)

How it Works:
Residents independently subscribe to private waste haulers (such as GFL, Waste Connections Canada, and Waste Management) for curbside garbage and organics collection, with each household selecting its preferred provider, service frequency, and bin size.

Costs:
Residents pay monthly or quarterly fees directly to private companies. Typical rates in the region vary from contract-to-contract depending on bin size and pickup frequency. Staff’s research shows that households may pay up to $560 annually for garbage, green bin, and yard waste. However, households with very low waste can choose infrequent service or opt out entirely, incurring little or no cost, while those requiring regular weekly pickup pay the highest amounts. There is no direct cost to the City for continuing residential collection under this status quo; all operational costs are borne by residents and private haulers.

Table 3: Individual Private Contracts (Status Quo)

b. Municipally‑Contracted Service (Recommended)

How it Works:
The City would tender and contract a residential curbside garbage collection service for all single-family homes, including suites, and some townhomes or other stratas up to 4 units inclusive, to align with the CRD/Recycle BC model. Residents would no longer arrange individual garbage pickup; instead, the City ensures every eligible residence in the program is covered under one contract. The contracted service would include garbage collection and organics (green bin) collection; recycling would continue through CRD/Recycle BC. This model is essentially a municipally administered service delivered by a sole service provider.

Costs:
All eligible households would now pay for garbage service through the program, ensuring full participation. Based on similar contracts in other BC municipalities, the cost per household is expected to be approximately $25–$30 per month for weekly garbage and organics collection. This equates to $300–$360 per year per home for comprehensive service. For reference, a recent waste study in Central Saanich projected about $27/month per household for a single-hauler contract covering garbage and organics.

Households that previously paid very little (or nothing) for infrequent service would see their costs increase to the standard fee, while many others might pay about the same or less than they did under an individual private contract. The contracted municipal garbage service costs would be either billed directly to residents by the contractor, or residents would pay the City. If the City does the billing for this service, it would need to be determined how that billing will be done (i.e. billing with property taxes or separate billing).

Table 4: Municipally‑Contracted Service (Recommended)

c. Municipal In‑House Service (City‑Operated Collection)

How it Works:
The City would create its own waste collection service within the City’s public works (or a new utilities department). The City would purchase garbage trucks, hire drivers and support staff, and directly collect garbage and organics from all residential homes. This is the traditional fully public model: City crews perform the work, and the City handles all aspects from billing to operations. Langford would join other Vancouver Island municipalities like Victoria, Saanich, and Esquimalt that run their own garbage fleets.

Costs:
Under municipal operation, the City needs to cover all costs of the service – labour, equipment, fuel, maintenance, billing, customer service, etc. Those costs would be recovered through utility fees or taxes from residents; the service could be set up as a self-funded utility or part of general property taxes. Based on studies and other cities’ budgets, the ongoing operating cost works out similarly to the contracted scenario: $26–$28 per household per month for weekly garbage and organics service. For example, an analysis for Central Saanich estimated about $26.75/month per home for a municipal-run service (vs $27.06 for contracted) when spread over all households. It is unknown whether or not the capital recovery costs were considered in this estimate.

The City would likely charge each residence approximately $320–$380 per year for the service to cover ongoing operating expenses. However, in addition to these operating costs, the City would face significant upfront capital costs in this model, for which the customers would be billed on top of the annual operating costs. For this model, the following would be required:

• Fleet trucks:
  • Approximately 3-6 trucks (at a cost between 400k-500k per truck for a total upward of $3.0million)
• Staff:
  • Staff would be required to operate trucks, manage fleet, maintain fleet, billing, customer support, management and human resources
• Land and Buildings:
  • Purchase or lease land for operations and facilities
  • Build, buy, or lease a facility to house trucks and for repairs, washrooms, and breaks
  • Fuel station (could use cardlock system instead)
• Standardized Bins:
  • Garbage/Organics carts ~19,000 households x $100-150 per cart ($2.85million)

The City would need to invest money upfront (or take on debt) to acquire assets, then amortize those costs over time. Once established, the City-run service’s annual costs (including debt repayment on capital and all staffing) would need to be covered by the collected fees. All financial risk is on the City to manage the service efficiently within the fee structure.

Table 5: Municipal In‑House Service (City‑Operated Collection)

6. Summary of Current Maintenance Practices for Public Waste Receptacles and Litter

The City currently contracts out the maintenance of all public waste receptacles through the Roads Maintenance Contract, which currently includes servicing 244 garbage cans across parks, streetscapes, and transit stops.

Under the terms of the contract, public waste receptacles are serviced at one of three fixed frequencies:

• Once (1) per week
• Three (3) times per week
• Seven (7) times per week (daily)*

*Daily service from April 1st to September 30th only

In addition, the following public waste receptacles maintenance services are also included in the contract:

• Graffiti removal from garbage cans
• Annual power wash of garbage cans
• Clean-up of garbage overflowing from bin at time of pickup, at an additional overflow rate

As previously stated, overflowing receptacles are a common recurring issue, particularly in areas with high pedestrian activity or where receptacles are misused for household waste. When receptacles overflow outside of scheduled pickups, the garbage collection falls outside of the maintenance contract (non-contract). Non-contract work orders to service overflowing public waste receptacles cost approximately 10 times the contractor-discovered overflow rates in the contract because the contractor has to go out of their way or off the route to service it. While it is good to have this option for one-off situations, it should not be used regularly due to the associated costs and impact on operations.

The City’s maintenance contractor, beautification workers, and volunteers regularly conduct litter picks in the downtown core. Removal of larger household items dumped on boulevards and streets, such as furniture and appliances, is done by the City’s contractor via non-contract work order. The City also returns items such as shopping carts to businesses and maintains BC Transit bus stops on a rotating basis.

The City partners with the Greater Victoria Green Team several times per year to engage the community for litter clean up events to remove loose garbage from sidewalk and boulevard areas in downtown Langford. In 2024, three litter clean up events were held, a total of 87 community members participated, with a total of 277 hours contributed to cleaning up the City. Based on participant tracking, 255 lbs of litter was collected.

The City also partners with the Bilston Watershed Habitat Protection Association on creek clean up efforts. In 2024, volunteers completed an Earth Day clean up of Firehall Creek, fish survey and flow monitoring assessment of Bilston Creek mainstem, and replanting of native vegetation along a section of Pritchard Creek. Volunteers also completed creek assessments and identification of environmental concerns. New fish habitat signs were also installed along Pritchard and Firehall Creeks.

Additionally, the City's collaboration with organizations like Wild Wise and WildSafe BC demonstrates a commitment to evidence-based programming. These partnerships allow for scalable outreach from door-to-door canvassing to school presentations and ensure that signage is relevant to local wildlife risks.

7. Public Education, Signage, and Campaigns

Several public education programs and signage efforts are already in place or under consideration:

• “No Household Dumping” Stickers: Placed on public garbage cans around Langford to discourage misuse.
• Wildlife Awareness Signage: Includes “Lock it up, it’s the law” and “Bear in Area” signs developed by Wild Wise, an educational society funded by the City with $2,500 grants in both 2024 and 2025.
• Bin Tagging (WildSafe BC): Coordinators place removable stickers on bins set out too early, educating residents about bylaws and wildlife attractants without issuing fines.
• Digital Outreach: The City maintains a “Bear Aware” page on its website and social media platforms to reinforce messaging.

Please, refer to Appendix B for more information on existing signage campaigns and resources.

To continue to support community-level pride, some initiatives that could be developed by the City include but are not limited to:

• Develop a catchphrase style public-relations campaign, focused on collectively keeping our community clean and not leaving a mess for others to clean up
• Community education through City’s website, social media, and digital advertising boards
• Create educational video reels in conjunction with subject matter experts
• Host a downtown Langford street clean-up day in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce
• Work with students at Belmont High School to lead awareness initiatives with youth
• Work with developers and realtors to include pamphlets in new home buyer packages
• “Adopt A” street, area, or park opportunity
• Help spread awareness of CRD “What Goes Where” tool through the City’s website/social media

8. Garbage Can Capacity, Design, and Enforcement

Increasing garbage can capacity is challenging, as larger loads throughout the day may require additional personnel or equipment. Also, existing cans are not able to accommodate larger inserts and therefore a new can style with larger capacity would need to be considered. Potential solutions to increase garbage can capacity are:

• Retrofitting suitable existing cans to install front-loading lids, to prevent piling of dumped garbage atop of cans and restrict wildlife access, such as birds and racoons.
• Retrofitting existing cans with recycling racks for returnable beverage containers to divert some materials from the landfill.
• Install larger capacity cans with in-ground storage in suitable locations. Emptying of in-ground cans would likely be at an additional cost to the City, as special equipment would be required.
• Select a standard garbage can for future installations with a smaller opening to discourage dumping of bagged household garbage in public receptacles.

Please, refer to Appendix B for a review of current waste receptacles in Langford, as well as the recommended standard garbage can design and retrofit options with associated costs.

Currently, an offence for dumping garbage in an open place is a $500.00 fine. The greatest enforcement challenge is identifying the source of the dumped garbage, as it is rare that there is evidence or witnesses that can point them to an individual. Additional staffing or increased fines would not be effective solutions as the dumping is still unlikely to be observed by a Bylaw Officer. Bylaw updates for increased enforcement can be considered in the future, if necessary.

9. Five-Year Data Comparison of Overflow Incidents

Over the past year, the City has experienced a notable increase in the frequency of overflowing public waste receptacles and the associated servicing costs. This trend has been documented through contractor reports, internal work orders, and monthly service invoices. A summary of the data showing increasing overflows and servicing fees is demonstrated in the following tables and corresponding graphs. A map showing instances of overflowing garbage cans is attached in Appendix A.

Table 6: Garbage Can Cost Summary (Excluding GST), 2020-2025

¹ Rate at beginning of the year, post CPI adjustment.
² Cost is for overflowing garbage cans only, no dumped garbage or large household items cleanup costs are included.
³ Note: Transfer of Parks garbage cans to Engineering Roads Maintenance Contract in 2021.
⁴ 2025 data is from January to August (inclusive) only.

Table 7: Monthly Overflowing Garbage Can Pickups, 2020-2025

⁵ Transfer of Parks garbage cans to Engineering Roads Maintenance Contract in 2021.
⁶ 2025 data is from January to August (inclusive) only.
⁷ No data available for November 2023.

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FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:

If Council chooses to adopt Option 1, the estimated costs to be incorporated into 2026 portion the 5-Year Financial Plan would be:

1. Cost to increase garbage pickup frequency: Up to $125,000
2. Cost to retrofit existing bins/install standard bins: To replace all Langford owned garbage cans on Goldstream Avenue between Jacklin and VMP with the new recommended design, the estimated cost would be $75,000
3. Feasibility study, RFP, and contract award: $85,000

Any long-term costs borne by the City would be advised by the consultant at the feasibility stage prior to contract award. Further costs, if any, would be reported to Council in future staff report(s).

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LEGAL IMPLICATIONS:

Some residents may be on a contract for their current waste collection services and therefore may be locked in with a single provider for the number of years specified in the contract. The City would need to consider costs associated with severing the contracts or consider a phased transfer of services in such circumstances.

To transition from the current private subscription model to a municipally managed garbage collection service, whether through a single contracted hauler or a City-operated fleet, the City would need to establish a new bylaw mandating participation of all eligible households. This bylaw would serve as the legal foundation the service, ensuring that every eligible residence is included in the program and subject to the same standards and fees.

The bylaw would clearly define the scope of service, outline the responsibilities of both the City and residents, and specify enforcement mechanisms for non-compliance. Additionally, it would set rates, determine billing methods, and require the use of standardized bins or green bins to support waste diversion goals. Without this legislative framework, the City would lack the ability to require participation, making it difficult to achieve the intended environmental and service improvements.

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STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:

• 2 - Climate Change and Environmental Stewardship.
• 5 - Good Governance.
• 6 - Quality of Life.

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OPTIONS:

Option 1

THAT Council:

1. Increase the maximum level of service for public waste receptacle collection from seven (7) to fourteen (14) times per week, at the current contract unit rate, with no seasonal restrictions;
2. Adopt the proposed new style of waste receptacle and retrofit options;

AND THAT Council direct staff to:

3. Engage a consultant to:
   a. Review and verify the staff recommendation to proceed with a municipally-contracted residential curbside garbage collection service;
   b. Advise and support the public survey and key partner engagement conducted by staff;
   c. If verified, prepare and present a proposed scope for the Municipal Garbage Service Contract to Council for information prior to going to tender; and

4. Prepare a bylaw to regulate the storage, collection, and disposal of garbage and organic waste in accordance with the CRD’s Solid Waste Management Plan.

Staff recommendation (verbatim):
Staff recommend proceeding with the municipally-contracted option, subject to consultant verification and public engagement. For public waste receptacles, staff recommend keeping them in the Roads Maintenance Contract with an increased level-of-service and consistent design going forward.

OR Option 2

THAT Council approve the recommended increase in service frequency for public waste receptacles at the discretion of the Director of Engineering and Public Works;

AND THAT Council direct staff as follows regarding the management of residential curbside garbage collection:

a. _____________;
b. _____________;
c. __________.

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SUBMITTED BY:

Katelyn Balzer, P.Eng., Director of Engineering and Public Works

Concurrence: Melisa Miles, Manager of Legislative Services
Concurrence: Donna Petrie, Senior Manager of Communications & Economic Development
Concurrence: Yari Nielsen, Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities
Concurrence: Leah Stohmann, RPP, MCIP, Director of Community Planning and Development
Concurrence: Michael Dillabaugh, CPA, CA, Director of Finance
Concurrence: Marie Watmough, Director of Legislative & Protective Services
Concurrence: Braden Hutchins, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
Concurrence: Darren Kiedyk, Chief Administrative Officer

Attachments: Appendix A – Map of Overflowing Garbage Cans
Appendix B – Garbage Can Examples and Education Initiatives