Construction waste puts Metro Vancouver recycling facilities at capacity

Waste from construction and demolition sitesare piling up so quickly that recycling facilities say they're having a tough time keeping up with demand.

"We're very busy right now," said ChristianKasper, president and CEO of Harvest Power.

"This [New Westminster]facility receives about 500 tones per day, that's our maximum permitted capacity and that is what we are taking in right now."

• Illegal dumping in Vancouver grows by 40%

Studies conducted by Metro Vancouver show an increase of almost 40 per cent in construction waste from 2011 to 2015, and Vancouver's housing market is most likely the cause.

"The development in the area has skyrocketed in the last few years, and as a result of that we're seeing a lot ofdemolitionand newconstruction. That's just the nature of what's going on," said Albert Shamess, director of waste management at the City of Vancouver.

Metro Vancouver, which overlooks and licenses theseprivate facilities, saidwhile there currently are a dozenof them in the city, there is room for more.

"We see anopportunity formore recycling of that material," said PaulHenderson, general manager of solid waste services with Metro Vancouver.

Harvest Power alreadyoperates two construction recycling facilities in MetroVancouver.

"There is a lot of activity here and we are looking to expand the business and grow this marketplace," said Kasper.

But Kasper said it'schallenging to find a suitable location because residents aren't keen to have a recycling facility in their backyard.

He also said that getting apermit takes some time, but the interest and willingness to expand isthere.

"All you need to do is look at the Vancouver skyline and see all the cranes. There is lots of construction going on right now in Metro Vancouver that produces a lot of waste," he said.