Construction and Demolition Waste

When you are constructing, renovating, or demolishing your home, it can generate a lot of waste. While these materials (e.g. lumber, painted wood, rubble, etc.) can be recycled on their own (see below), it is considered construction and demolition waste when materials are unable to be sorted into their individual waste categories. 

CVRD Recycling Centres do not accept construction and demolition waste (or other asbestos-containing materials such as vermiculite insulation and drywall) as it is likely to have asbestos-containing materials. This is because most homes in the region were built before the 1990s when asbestos was extensively used in construction. Under a service agreement with the CVRD, this material can be taken to Coast Environmental (Duncan location), or directly to the Regional District of Nanaimo’s Cedar Road landfill.

  1. Asbestos Awareness
  2. Clean & Treated Wood
  3. Rubble & Aggregate
  4. Roofing Materials

Asbestos Awareness

Every week, CVRD Recycling Centre staff meet residents that have unknowingly handled asbestos material. Most of the asbestos has come from home renovations because asbestos is in the majority of homes in the Cowichan Valley. While asbestos is more regulated now, Worksafe BC aims to raise awareness for the risks associated with handling asbestos because it can still be present in newer homes. To get an idea of where asbestos could be in your home, click on the image below.

Asbestos in the home Opens in new window

Asbestos Kills. Asbestos contains tiny fibres that travel deep into your lungs causing breathing problems in the short term and deadly cancer in the long term.

Renovations release asbestos into the air and put everyone at risk. You, your kids, your building contractor, the trucker who hauls away your construction waste and the worker at the waste facility who handles it are at risk.

Have a pro handle it safely. The only safe way to deal with asbestos is to have your house tested and then hire a reputable asbestos removal company to remove and dispose of it properly. The cost of these services is a small price to pay when buying or renovating a house to protect everyone you care about as well as those you may never meet.

Video Resources

Asbestos hazards in renovations, restorations and demolition

Asbestos in the body

The history and impacts of asbestos