Developers in Victoria and Metro Vancouver are coming to terms with demolition bylaws that impose pricey recycling incentive deposits and wood-salvage quotas on a broader range of buildings.

Following Port Moody and Surrey’s lead, Burnaby has introduced an all-structure green demolition bylaw that mimics the stringent bylaws that once just covered heritage home demolitions.

Port Moody’s recently amended bylaw sets a new high for recycling quotas: 100 per cent of clean wood – wood that is not contaminated with paint, stain or chemical treatments – and 85 per cent of all other materials must be recycled before a deposit fee is refunded.

Burnaby’s new bylaw marks a new high for deposit fees, which cap at $50,000 for structures more than 22,000 square feet, such as a warehouse. Before the fee is refunded, applicants must submit a compliance report with receipts from recycling facilities proving 70 per cent of demolition material was recycled.

“We’re incentivizing developers to make adjustments in their current work processes to divert more material from our landfills,” says Tracey Tobin, climate action and energy officer for Burnaby. “This aligns with our goal to become a zero-waste, carbon-neutral city.”

Construction and demolition material accounts for the largest category of solid waste – more than one-third – in Canadian landfills, yet it’s possible to divert and recover value from the vast majority of these materials, according to a 2019 report by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment.

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