2024 Coast Waste Management Association Conference
November 7, 2024
by Haya Aldoori
In October 2024, I attended a 3-day conference hosted by the Coast Waste Management Association (CWMA). This conference is a prominent waste management industry and networking event held on Vancouver Island with attendees from across British Columbia and other parts of North America. The event happens annually and has been going strong for almost 30 years. It brings together leaders in the waste management community to exchange knowledge, inspire solutions, and build connections. The theme for 2024 was the power of collaboration.
As the newest member of the Compost Education Centre (CEC) team, this was such a great opportunity for me to learn more about the waste management community and the work that happens in this space. There were over 300 delegates across the waste management sector, representing different areas and levels of government, First Nations, non-profits, stewardship agencies, private businesses, and more.
Since I attended all three days, I got to participate in many different sessions, covering a wide variety of topics, and meet many different people. Some of the highlights for me were:
City of Nelson’s “Pre-Treated Organics Program”
While sharing a meal, I had the opportunity to connect with a staff member from City of Nelson. In conversation, I learned that they have a fascinating pilot program where they provide their residents with an in-home appliance (FoodCycler) specifically designed for mashing and dehydrating food waste. This is part of their broader food waste reduction and sustainability strategy for their community. The process of “pre-treatment” using the FoodCycler significantly reduces the weight and volume of food waste. The finished product is easier to store and requires fewer collection days than other curbside programs. Additionally, the finished product can be transformed into a valuable soil amendment for people’s gardens and reduces problematic wildlife encounters. Hearing about some of their findings was incredibly enriching as with the FoodCycler. This technology is one that many folks in our community seem to be really curious about. It is also featured in our Yard-Free Composting workshop!
A Field Trip to SUPPLY
During the conference, delegates were given the opportunity to participate in one of three learning tours. I decided to participate in the tour and hands-on workshop at SUPPLY Victoria Creative Reuse Centre. This art-meets-environmental nonprofit redistributes used art, office, and school supplies to creatives of all ages. They also offer art-based reuse education workshops in the community. On the tour, I learned about their process for diverting art supplies from the landfill and inspiring creative reuse in both youth and adults. I also got use my hands to loom weave for the first time using salvaged threads. This experience was really generative, giving me great ideas for future personal DIY projects (and where to get my supplies) as well as future adult workshops at the CEC.
The Educators and Communicators Roundtable
On day one of the conference, the first session that I participated in was an “Educators and Communicators Roundtable” discussion. Community education and communications in the waste management sector is sometimes considered very niche, however it is also recognized as indispensable to the sector’s work and the goals we are collectively striving to achieve. This session served as an important gathering space where all of us working in this “niche” field could learn from each other, discuss current initiatives, and share challenges and successes. I left this session feeling a strong sense of solidarity, finding comfort in knowing that there are so many other people who are just as passionate as we are about building up community literacy around waste management, diversion, and reduction.
Diversion Success in Rural/Remote Communities
On the second day of the conference, I attended a session titled “Far and Away: Diversion Success in Rural Communities.” The goal of the session was for participants to learn from different organizations who have had a positive impact on waste diversion in places with small populations, as well as remote and rural communities. Since the CEC’s area of service encompasses the entire Capital Regional District (CRD), including the southern Gulf Islands, I really got a lot out of the part of the session that was led by Gabriola Island Recycling Organization (GIRO). It helped me better understand the waste diversion context and needs of some of the communities we might be serving with our work.
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I’m really grateful that I had the opportunity to participate in the CWMA conference. Over the course of the three days, I got to learn, connect, share, and feel inspired with others. I have left with a renewed and refreshed outlook on the work that I get to do in my community as well as the waste management space as a whole. I look forward to the possibility of participating again in the future and would encourage others in the field to participate as well!
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