Landfilled Waste

Following a substantial community effort and many years, Whistler has an updated Official Community Plan and Vision (OCP) that sets the course for the community into the future. Whistler Council adopted the OCP at its meeting June 23, 2020. The new vision and OCP builds on Whistler 2020, Whistler’s previous guiding policy document.

Work is underway to align existing community performance indicators with the new vision and OCP. The most current data is available in the 2019 Annual Report. View the 2019 data.

Landfilled Waste

Total waste to landfill in 2019 was statistically lower when compared to 2018 with the landfilled waste generated per person decreasing to 325 kg/person. Annual per person landfilled waste production fell below the performance target of 350 kg/person/year for the first time on record.

Why monitor this

The manner in which we currently offer visitors and residents the services and products required to fulfil their lifestyle needs leads to the degradation of nature, high energy use and can result in rapid ‘waste’ production. Diversion through recycling and composting of these materials reduces the amount of waste sent to the landfill and can become new sources of material for products. Landfills occupy large parcels of land, emit greenhouse gases, act as wildlife attractants and, among other threats, can leach harmful materials into the surrounding environment. Landfills also emit methane gas, contributing to climate change.

What this measures

This indicator measures the total kilograms of solid waste material sent to the landfill from the Nesters and Function Junction waste depots and the Waste Transfer Station in the Callaghan. While most demolition waste is included in the measure, some demolition waste skips Whistler's transfer station and as a result is not captured in this measure. Whistler's landfill was closed prior to 2010 and waste currently goes to the Rabanco Landfill in Washington State.

The Resort Municipality of Whistler no longer has an operating landfill but continues to monitor the site for impacts to the local environments.The former landfill site is located approximately 8 km west of Whistler Village and is accessed off Highway 99 on Cheakamus Lake Road. While the landfill site was closed in October 2005, annual environmental monitoring and reporting is required as per the Landfill Operational Certificate and Whistler Landfill Closure Plan. Reports monitoring the closure of the Whistler Landfill are included below.

Attachment	Size
RMOW Landfill Annual Monitoring Report 2017	2.38 MB
RMOW Landfill Annual Monitoring Report 2016	7.54 MB
RMOW Landfill Annual Monitoring Report 2015	6.57 MB
RMOW Landfill Annual Monitoring Report 2014	5.94 MB
RMOW Landfill Annual Monitoring Report 2013	7.87 MB