This year's traditional two-day Free Dump Days is being reduced to one 'Community Clean-up Day' and while some residents are cheering, others are jeering and concerned about a potential increase in illegal dumping.
Long-time resident Dale Horth was shocked to find out the event, which used to run for two days, had been reduced to one.
"There's already an issue because no one wants to pay those expensive tipping fees," he said. "If anything, I think there should be more free dump days."
Horth works in the Cheakamus area and the woodlot he and his father run, adjacent to the Squamish landfill, is often plagued by people dumping their garbage on the property.
"If think if they're going to eliminate free dumping weekend, they're just going to find massive messes all over the place - in the Mamquam, up Ring Creek, everywhere," he said, adding it will be the district's responsibility and cost to clean it up.
"I don't think everyone sees the whole picture - they don't travel these logging roads and see it."
But phasing out free dump days has actually been in the works since last year when Squamish Climate Action Network (CAN) requested the tradition be brought to a halt.
In February 2010 the organization requested, and even announced, that Free Dump Days were coming to an end and would be replaced by a recycling event. Although Squamish council supported heading in that direction, Mayor Greg Gardner said the request came too late for 2010.
At the time, Coun. Corinne Lonsdale said although it was too late for 2010, commitments could be made to cut the waste to 50 per cent in 2011.
It seems Squamish council has followed through. By making the event only one day, one would assume the amount of waste would be reduced by more or less 50 per cent.
On Sunday, May 1, Squamish residents can dispose of non-hazardous residential waste at the Squamish landfill for free (excluding drywall). The landfill is open from 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. and proof of Squamish residency is required. The limit is one load per household.
In keeping with the environmental theme, recycling bins will be set up to off-load recyclable materials first before heading into the landfill. A re-use-it table will also be set up to support the Squamish CAN theory that "one person's trash is another person's treasure."
On Tuesday (April 19), Gardner said council decided to phase out free dump days instead of halting them abruptly because it's a long-standing tradition.
"Council is phasing out the opportunity for a community to put items in the landfill for free. We think in essence, at a policy level, that discourages recycling," he said.
"However, respecting the fact that it's been a long-standing tradition, we're going over a transitional basis - this year, there's only one 'community clean-up day' or a day when residents can dispose of garbage at no cost, rather than two in the past. "
Squamish CAN president Ana Santos said she's relieved and excited to see the district "taking a step in the right direction" and applauds their decision.
She's made no secret about her disapproval of the free dump day concept.
"By offering free dump days, we accept over-consumption and waste production as a matter of fact," she said. "Quite literally, we gratuitously keep the doors wide open to a disposable culture which has a throw-away mentality as the unquestionable norm."
Santos said the success of the Re-Use-It fair last weekend speaks to the public's willingness to embrace alternative initiatives.
"We now have several alternatives in place to help us move toward waste reduction as individuals and collectively as a community," she said. "The great success of the recent Re-Use It fair speaks for itself - positive change is what we want, we are ready for it, and we are committed to it - let's keep it up."
Horth isn't confident reducing dump days will prompt people to recycle more.
"The people who were that desperate not to pay the tipping fee will likely choose an easier solution," he said. "There'll be garbage up every single logging road in Squamish."
