The Lillooet Landfill will soon be composting yard waste. Construction is underway at the site, and operations should commence mid-2015. Each year, the SLRD accepts about 1,000 m3 of leaf and yard waste (equivalent to 350 tonnes/year) at the Lillooet Landfill. This is an improvement in operations at the landfill as currently periodic burning of yard waste is done to reduce stockpiles, in accordance with the Ministry of Environment permit for the site.
The composting facility will be for yard waste, and the landfill will continue to accept garden waste and chipped wood waste for free, and clean/untreated wood waste for $20/tonne. A compost facility management plan was undertaken by Sperling Hansen Associates for the SLRD in March 2014 which addressed how best to manage siting, operations, odour and leachate associated with the compost facility.
The yard waste composting facility is a great solution for Lillooet and surrounding areas, with cleaner air quality and the creation of a resource out of what was once considered waste.