For 25 to 30 years, by one Rotary estimate, people drove up Little Mountain outside Parksville and threw things off the cliff. Cars, furniture, computers and bags of household trash piled up at the bottom of a lookout that families used as a park. In May 2019 volunteers from the Rotary Club of Parksville AM and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers hauled out seven tonnes, and in November they came back with a helicopter, flown by a pilot who donated the aircraft, to lift out more, CHEK News reported. "Just garbage on garbage on garbage," one volunteer said. Little Mountain was, in practice, the Parksville garbage dump nobody had approved.
Where Parksville garbage actually goes
The official one is a transfer station, not a landfill. The Regional District of Nanaimo's Church Road Transfer Station, at 860 Church Road just outside Parksville's southwestern boundary, takes in more than 19,000 tonnes of waste a year and trucks it to the Regional Landfill at 1105 Cedar Road, near the southern edge of Nanaimo. That landfill is the only one in the region and receives more than 58,000 tonnes a year. Both sites, the RDN says, serve over 160,000 people, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week except statutory holidays, and between them divert more than 11,000 tonnes of recyclables, mostly yard waste. At Church Road a pickup load of prunings up to 100 kilograms costs $8, and the RDN's yard waste rate above that is $60 a tonne, against $160 for garbage.
How long the landfill lasts is a planning number, not a fixed date. The City of Nanaimo puts its lifespan at about 2040 on current disposal rates and growth estimates, and says its most recent composition study found 35 per cent of what is buried there is compostable organics, 14 per cent plastic, 12 per cent paper and 11 per cent building materials. The City and the RDN share a target of keeping 90 per cent of the region's waste out of the landfill by 2029.
Little Mountain and the cost of dumping
Illegal dumping is the oldest complaint in this story. In April 2016 the RDN joined Nanaimo and District Crime Stoppers and the forest companies Island Timberlands and TimberWest to go after it, saying the three landowners spent more than $200,000 a year between them on cleanup, staff time and waived landfill fees. The same two companies have been named as landowners of the managed forest in Nanaimo's drinking water watershed. Crime Stoppers offered rewards for anonymous tips, and its president, Chuck Campbell, stressed that tipsters would not have to give a name or go to court.
Two years later the problem had moved into the backcountry. In March 2018 a Nanaimo hiker, Michael Cruickshank, showed CHEK News trash strewn along a creek feeding the Chase River, including a household toilet in a ditch. Larry Gardner, the RDN's manager of solid waste, said he did not think there was more dumping, only more people seeing it in spring before the leaves came back.
Who the RDN says should pay
By February 2021 the regional district wanted the province to take more of it on. Illegal dumping, including cleanup of homeless camps, had accounted for 12 per cent of RDN bylaw calls over the previous two years, Gardner told CHEK. Calling it a provincial responsibility, the RDN board passed a motion asking for a more coordinated provincial approach, to go to the Association of Vancouver Island Coastal Communities in April and the Union of BC Municipalities in September. On Little Mountain itself, Rotary's Bill Rawlins said no new garbage had gone over the edge since the public outcry over the helicopter lifts.
The numbers have not shrunk. The RDN says residents and community non-profits recovered and disposed of more than 240 tonnes of illegally dumped material in 2024. If you find a dump site, the RDN asks you not to approach anyone in the act but to note what you can and call the provincial Report All Poachers and Polluters line at 1-877-952-7277 (#7277 on a cellphone), or RDN bylaw enforcement at 250-390-6559. Community groups running a cleanup may be able to drop the waste at RDN facilities for free.
The incinerator fights: Duke Point, Powell River, Spokane
The biggest waste argument in the region was over something that never got built. In 2014 Metro Vancouver was looking for a site for a new waste-to-energy plant, and one candidate was Duke Point, on land owned by Seaspan Ferries, with Wheelabrator Technologies and the European firm Urbaser as proponents. On April 14, 2014, Nanaimo council voted unanimously against supporting it, to a standing ovation from a crowd that filled Shaw Auditorium, the Times Colonist reported. Mayor John Ruttan attacked Metro Vancouver's consultation and said he did not want Nanaimo to be known as "the garbage dump for Metro Vancouver." The vote left the land's zoning untouched, and in 2025 a new fight broke out over Duke Point's I4 heavy industry zone.
The Coast Reporter noted four days later that the vote was not the end of the process. Paul Henderson, Metro's general manager of solid waste services, could not yet confirm the Duke Point proposal was withdrawn, and the shortlist still held Port Mellon, where Aquilini Renewable Energy proposed a $500 million plant to burn 370,000 tonnes a year, and a Lehigh Cement fuel project in Delta.
Powell River had already been through the same debate. At a special meeting in July 2012, its council passed a motion by Councillor Russell Brewer that it did not support an incineration facility in the city, after Wheelabrator looked at Catalyst Paper mill land as a possible site, the Powell River Peak reported in a story republished by the Watershed Sentinel. Only Councillor Maggie Hathaway voted against, saying she had not yet heard the company's proposal. A clause in the city's charter since 1954 limits council's power to regulate activity on mill property, which is why some councillors saw the vote as a message rather than a veto.
Across the border, Spokane shows what living with an incinerator involves. Its waste-to-energy plant began operating in 1991, burns about 250,000 tons of municipal waste a year and generates roughly 150 gigawatt hours of electricity, enough for 13,000 homes, according to a City of Spokane fact sheet. Washington State helped build it with a $60 million grant. In 2026 the city was fighting compliance costs of $4 million to $8 million a year under the state's Climate Commitment Act, which exempts landfills; a bill granting no-cost allowances had passed the House and, in modified form, the Senate on March 4. The fact sheet does not say whether the final version became law.
Carts, green bins and the recycling depots
What did change was collection. The RDN collects curbside for single-family homes in its electoral areas, the District of Lantzville, Snaw-Naw-As First Nation, Parksville and Qualicum Beach, but not in the City of Nanaimo. Garbage and recycling alternate every two weeks and organics go weekly; a statutory holiday pushes every collection day forward by one. The RDN Curbside app and the address search on rdn.bc.ca give the exact day, which is the honest answer to anyone searching for an old printed RDN schedule. Households can swap the standard 100-litre organics cart for a 240-litre one for $50 a year more, plus a $75 exchange fee.
Nanaimo runs its own service for about 32,000 households, from single-family homes up to fourplexes, with carts at the curb by 8 a.m. Its green cart program has been audited for years: a 2015 "bin dip" found almost a quarter of carts held something that did not belong, though contaminants made up under 1 per cent of the weight. The City takes certified compostable liners, while Ladysmith, across the regional boundary, bans compostable and biodegradable bags outright and cites provincial rules. The plastics side of that argument runs through Parksville's single-use bag ban.
The organics go to Duke Point, but the name on the gate depends on the source. CTV reported in 2022 that Convertus had completed a $7 million expansion of the Nanaimo Organic Waste facility there, raising capacity from 20,000 to 58,000 tonnes a year and cutting composting time from 10 to 12 months to about 15 days. The City's current page says organics are hauled to "the Circular Waste BC facility in Duke Point." Used cooking oil follows the same route in small amounts: both the City and the RDN say to soak it up in paper towel or solidify it and put it in the organics cart, never down the drain. For more than a litre, the City's directory lists West Coast Reduction at 900 Maughan Road and says to call ahead.
MMBC, Recycle BC and the depot that closed
Blue-bin recycling in all of these places is part of a provincial program paid for by producers. It launched in 2014 as Multi-Material BC and rebranded as Recycle BC in March 2017, when it served over 1.7 million households and was funded by more than 1,200 businesses that supply packaging and paper, so that residents do not pay directly. Glass, foam and flexible plastics go to Recycle BC depots, not the cart; the City of Nanaimo said in 2023 that contaminated loads bring "substantial fines."
The best-known depot is gone. The Nanaimo Recycling Exchange stopped taking drop-offs in March 2018, when its Kenworth Road lease ran out while the non-profit was still waiting on its request for a roughly $6 million new building, CHEK reported. The City pointed residents to Regional Recycling at 2375 Hayes Road and 839 Old Victoria Road and Alpine Disposal at 2250 McGarrigle Road. For still-usable household goods, it suggested thrift stores and charities, which remains the closest thing to an official answer for anyone hoping to hand on furniture rather than leave it at the curb.
Ladysmith, ashtrays and where it stands now
Ladysmith sits in the Cowichan Valley Regional District, not the RDN, so its residents use the Peerless Road Recycling Centre at 10830 Westdowne Road, open Wednesday to Sunday from April to October and three days a week in winter. Curbside service is by GFL Environmental, with one 120-litre garbage can every other week and extra-container tags at $3 each or six for $15.
Cigarette butts belong in the garbage on Ladysmith's list, and getting them there is a problem no local program has solved. Vancouver estimated in 2023 that more than 400,000 butts are littered there every day by residents alone, found that receptacles on light poles were often vandalized, and switched to handing out free pocket ashtrays, CBC reported. Nanaimo's zero-waste page handles litter through a general Keep Nanaimo Clean campaign.
The RDN's 240 tonnes for 2024 is the latest regional count of dumped waste, published on its prevention page as of October 2026. It counts only what people found and carried out. More waste and council stories are collected under Civic Nanaimo.
Questions
Where is the garbage dump in Parksville?
Parksville has a transfer station rather than a landfill. The Regional District of Nanaimo's Church Road Transfer Station is at 860 Church Road, just outside the city's southwestern boundary, and the waste it takes in is trucked on to the Regional Landfill on Cedar Road in Nanaimo.
What are the hours at the Church Road Transfer Station?
The RDN lists both of its solid waste facilities as open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week, except statutory holidays. Both take cash, debit or credit, with cards preferred.
How do I report illegal dumping in the RDN?
Call the provincial Report All Poachers and Polluters line at 1-877-952-7277, or #7277 from a cellphone. RDN bylaw enforcement is at 250-390-6559, and the regional district asks people not to approach dumpers but to note identifying details.
Can community groups dump cleanup garbage for free?
Often, yes. The RDN says community organizations that run a cleanup may be able to dispose of the waste free at its facilities, and it asks groups to arrange this in advance through its community cleanup program.
When is garbage collected in Parksville and Qualicum Beach?
The RDN collects garbage and recycling every two weeks on alternating weeks, and organics every week. If a statutory holiday falls in the week, every collection day moves forward one day; the RDN Curbside app and the calendar tool on rdn.bc.ca show the exact day for an address.
Does the RDN pick up garbage in the City of Nanaimo?
No. The City of Nanaimo runs its own curbside service for about 32,000 single-family homes and buildings up to fourplexes. The RDN serves its electoral areas, Lantzville, Snaw-Naw-As First Nation, Parksville and Qualicum Beach.
Where does Nanaimo's green bin waste go?
It is composted at Duke Point. The City now names the operator as Circular Waste BC, while 2022 reporting described the same site as the Nanaimo Organic Waste facility run by Convertus, which expanded it that year.
How do you get rid of used cooking oil in Nanaimo?
Small amounts can be soaked up in paper towel or solidified and put in the green cart; neither the City nor the RDN accepts liquids. For larger amounts the City's directory points to West Coast Reduction at 900 Maughan Road, and asks people to call first.
What happened to the Nanaimo Recycling Exchange?
It closed in March 2018 when the lease on its Kenworth Road site ran out, while the non-profit was still waiting on a request for a roughly $6 million new building. The City sent residents to Regional Recycling and other private depots instead.
What is the difference between MMBC and Recycle BC?
They are the same organization. Multi-Material BC launched in 2014 and rebranded as Recycle BC in March 2017; it runs residential packaging and paper recycling across the province and is paid for by the businesses that supply the packaging.
Was a garbage incinerator ever approved for Nanaimo?
No. On April 14, 2014, Nanaimo council voted unanimously against a proposed waste-to-energy plant at Duke Point that would have burned Metro Vancouver garbage. Powell River council had voted against a similar idea in 2012.
Does Ladysmith use the RDN landfill?
No. Ladysmith is in the Cowichan Valley Regional District, and items not accepted at the curb go to the Peerless Road Recycling Centre and Garbage Drop-Off Depot at 10830 Westdowne Road.
Sources
- Illegal Dumping Prevention and Enforcement, Regional District of Nanaimo
- Solid Waste Disposal Facilities, Regional District of Nanaimo
- Solid Waste Locations, Regional District of Nanaimo
- Curbside Collection Program Overview, Regional District of Nanaimo
- News Release - April 22, 2016, Regional District of Nanaimo, 2016-04-22
- Helicopter and volunteers take on illegal dumping on Parksville mountain, CHEK News, 2019-11-03
- Regional District of Nanaimo calls on province for illegal dumping action, CHEK News, 2021-02-24
- Hiker finds mess of illegal dumping in Nanaimo backcountry, CHEK News, 2018-03-12
- Nanaimo council cheered for rejecting plan to burn Vancouver trash, Times Colonist, 2014-04-15
- Nanaimo rejects Metro incinerator, Coast Reporter, 2014-04-18
- Council Extinguishes Incineration Proposal, Watershed Sentinel (from the Powell River Peak), 2012-07-19
- Spokane's Waste-To-Energy (WTE) Facility Fact Sheet: 2026 Legislative Alert, City of Spokane, 2026-03-05
- Curbside Basics, City of Nanaimo, 2026-09-17
- Green Cart - Organic Materials, City of Nanaimo
- Post-Collection Systems, City of Nanaimo
- Zero Waste Initiatives, City of Nanaimo, 2026-04-27
- What Goes Where: Cooking oil, City of Nanaimo
- What Goes Where: Cooking oil, Regional District of Nanaimo
- City audit of green bins highlights areas for improvement, City of Nanaimo, 2015-08-12
- New $7M compost facility in Nanaimo dubbed 'next generation' for Vancouver Island, CTV News Vancouver Island, 2022-08-31
- MMBC Changes its Name to Recycle BC, Recycle BC, 2017-03-24
- Recycle Right: Help Make Tomorrow Greener, City of Nanaimo, 2023-11-16
- There are Lots of Ways to Recycle in Nanaimo!, City of Nanaimo, 2018-06-19
- The Nanaimo Recycling Exchange has closed, City of Nanaimo, 2018-03-21
- Nanaimo Recycling Exchange shuts its gates, CHEK News, 2018-03-21
- Garbage, Town of Ladysmith
- Routes & Schedules, Town of Ladysmith
- Organics, Town of Ladysmith
- Cigarette butts still Vancouver's most littered item, seemingly unsolvable issue, CBC News, via The Weather Network, 2023-10-29
