BCBC Calls for Independent Review of Metro Vancouver Waste Plan

The Business Council of British Columbia is calling on Metro Vancouver to pause finalization of its Draft 2026 Solid Waste Management Plan pending an independent third-party review. BCBC’s full submission provides detailed analysis of the plan and outlines the concerns that should be addressed before it moves forward. 

Reducing waste is an important goal, but a plan that will shape the region’s waste system for the next decade and beyond must also deliver affordability, transparency, reliability and competition. We do not believe the current draft meets that bar. 

BCBC’s concerns include: 

• Competition: In 2019, the federal Competition Bureau warned that Metro Vancouver’s approach could reduce competition, choice and innovation while driving costs higher. The draft plan does not address those concerns or analyze how its proposals could affect competition. 

• Affordability: Metro Vancouver’s operating spending, including solid waste and recycling, rose nearly 93 per cent between 2013 and 2024, far outpacing inflation of 33 per cent and population growth of 25 per cent. Rising costs and fees are ultimately passed on to residents and businesses. 

• Governance: Metro Vancouver develops waste policy, regulates the sector, operates waste facilities and sets prices. We believe this concentration of roles is problematic because there is no independent check on cost or performance. 

We believe these concerns must be addressed, and that an independent third-party review is the most effective way to ensure the plan receives proper scrutiny, reflects the public interest and is developed through a transparent process.