Thinking for the Future:

The Possibility of Zero Waste
in the Regional District of Nanaimo

Tools

To balance the despair and apathy that comes from examining the many barriers to zero waste programs, it is necessary to review some of the major tools we have for implementing change in public policy and support.

At this point, the RDN has the ability to restructure its policies in order to encourage waste reduction. While this is an oversimplification of an extremely complex issue, steps have already been made in the form of movement towards a user pay garbage system. Up until February 2000, commercial waste haulers were charged a premium on tipping fees in order finance cheap disposal for residents that brought their waste directly to the disposal facilities. Now, with an equalized system and approaching contract renewals for curbside collection of residential waste and recyclables, consideration can be taken of how to create solid waste contracts that make diversion more profitable for commercial haulers.

There is also the possibility of changing collection systems to reward the customer for reducing their waste, by creating a rate structure in which additional garbage is charged on a linear scale (ie. two cans costs exactly twice as much as one), and recycling is provided as a cheaper alternative to disposal. The RDN is also considering the use of a weight based collection system (where residents pay for the exact amount of garbage they produce), which would ensure that there is every possible incentive to reduce household waste.

Additionally, informal partnerships can be formed in order to provide information dissemination and public education. Already, the RDN has taken advantage of the expertise of community garden groups in both Nanaimo and Parksville to provide compost demonstrations and education. This help comes at minimal cost to the RDN, and provides important community development and participation. Once partnerships like this are formed, there is little difficulty in organizing further cooperation for future projects.

An existing structure that can provide many opportunities to gain public support and promote behavioral changes is the media. Media utilization through the creation of human-interest stories, events, and campaigns that appeal to the public is one of the least expensive and most far-reaching tools available to movements of any kind. The RDN has historically taken advantage of this structure to a certain extent by issuing press releases associated with any major event or policy change. However, there are infinite possibilities for widespread influence on the public’s perception by strategically creating campaigns and events designed to appeal to the audience.

The last tool is that of school education programs. The RDN is already a co-sponsor of "Kick the Can", an NRE program that promotes waste reduction through classroom visits. The importance of communicating messages through the school system is paramount; a captive audience is reached which has not yet fully formed the destructive patterns that lead to waste production. Hopefully those youth will go on to become responsible citizens and leaders for the future. It is important to remember that the greatest challenged faced in the movement to zero waste is that of changing perceptions, not habits.

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