Collection will continue as usual through 2025 and transition to automated service in 2026.
The City of Campbell River (the City) is pleased to announce that the contract for curbside collection of garbage, recyclables and organics within the community has been awarded to Emterra Environmental.
Emterra Environmental has provided curbside collection services to approximately 10,800 households in the Campbell River area since 2006. The continued partnership will span the next 10 years and see the City transition from manual to automated curbside collection services. Automated collection uses trucks with mechanical arms to lift and dump standardized bins that are placed at the curbside. This method of collection aligns with best practices in the solid waste industry and follows similar recent transitions made in neighbouring communities like the City of Courtenay and the Town of Comox.
Curbside collection will continue as currently scheduled for the remainder of 2025. In the spring of 2026, collection will transition to an automated, four-day, bi-weekly collection service for garbage and recycling. Organics collection will transition to an automated four-day service but will remain on a weekly schedule. Residents will receive three new bins sized at 360 litres for organics and recycling, and 180 litres for garbage. Households will be provided with an opportunity to exchange their bins for smaller containers or to purchase additional bins if needed.
“Transitioning to an automated curbside collection service is an exciting and necessary step forward for the community as we look to maintain service levels, divert waste and keep costs affordable,” says Director of Community Planning and Livability, Andy Gaylor. “Emterra has provided the City with reliable curbside collection for almost twenty years and with this continued partnership we look forward to embracing automated collection so that we can maintain the high service level that Campbell Riverites have come to expect. Over the next several months the City will share information with the public regarding the new service so that folks can learn about and prepare for the changes and have all their questions answered.”
Automated collection is considered a best practice to balance efficient waste pick-up with cost of service and to promote waste diversion. It also enhances health and safety processes as bins are more maneuverable, does not require carrying or lifting, and helps control rodent and wildlife interactions.
Current contracted costs total $2,767,219 for 2025, and the newly awarded curbside collection contract is $2,679,500 for the first year of the ten-year contract. The City’s Solid Waste program is self-funded, meaning that these service costs are paid through user fees and not taxation.
In 2024, the City secured a $633,423 grant from CleanBC – Organics Infrastructure and Collection Program by the Province of British Columbia, which was put towards the purchase of 11,232 bins, which totalled $959,033. Future grants will be pursued that could offset the costs of purchasing the remaining bins.