By the year 2025, we envision driving a change in Calgary’s construction practices that sees at least 80% diversion of construction and demolition waste from landfills. Our campaign is proposing policy recommendations to the City of Calgary to restructure policy related to the disposal and recycling of C&D waste as an opportunity to reduce the overall waste that goes to landfills in order to reshape the environmental future of our city.

Background

• In 2007, the City of Calgary announced they aimed to divert 80% of C&D waste from landfills by 2020. 
• However, in 2014, the City of Calgary rolled back the target from 80% to 40%. 
  • 40% is not the mandatory minimum target for all projects. That value is not enforced and is otherwise considered as a recommendation. 
  • 20% to 30% waste diversion was reported in the last city wide waste audit for the C&D stream. This was in 2014. 
• Our objective is to get City Council to approve a bylaw that will require all C&D projects in the City to have 80% diversion by 2025. 
  • Calgary will be the second major city in Canada to have this bylaw, after Vancouver. With an 80% target, compared to their 70%, ours will be more ambitious.