WOODLANDS COUNTY – Woodlands County Council is seeking a solution to accommodate residents looking to dispose of concrete waste, after years of limited options in the region.
At the June 18 council meeting, Director of Infrastructure Services Jeff Zhang outlined the current challenges and presented a potential path forward. Council then approved sending a request to the Whitecourt Regional Solid Waste Authority to allow concrete disposal from County residents, with disposal fees to be paid by users at a cost-recovery rate.
“We have had a few inquiries on whether County transfer sites will accept recycled concrete,” said Zhang. “A few councillors also received some inquiries from residents.”
Until 2017, the regional landfill accepted concrete from both County and Town residents. However, that changed when the landfill’s departmental approval was renewed. As a condition of that renewal, a Level 3 class result at the site had to be closed, and concrete waste was no longer permitted.
Since then, the Town of Whitecourt has continued to accept concrete waste from its own residents through operations based at its public works yard. County residents, however, have been left without a designated location to haul their concrete. The nearest alternative is a secure landfill site in Fox Creek, which Zhang noted carries a high cost and does not recycle the material.
While small concrete loads have occasionally been accepted at County landfill sites outside of policy, concrete is not included in the current or previous (Policy 4301) list of accepted materials. Zhang explained the existing landfill sites lack the space to accommodate concrete and are not equipped to recycle it.
“There is limited ability to recycle the concrete waste into something of use,” he said, noting that crushing concrete is expensive. According to Zhang, the cost to crush 50,000 tonnes of concrete would total approximately $1 million.
“This is not something we can make viable,” he said.
Zhang reviewed several alternatives, including partnerships with private concrete recyclers that sell the processed material. However, he emphasized that a substantial volume of concrete is necessary to make the process profitable. Currently, the Town of Whitecourt only mobilizes a concrete crusher once every ten years.
As discussions continue, Zhang is working with the Town to explore a shared solution. He said user fees could range from $700 to $1,000 per load to cover costs, and the Town appears open to introducing a user-pay fee model to make expanded service possible.
During the meeting, Councillor Deane inquired about the cost of using the Fox Creek facility. Zhang confirmed it is a secure site that does not recycle, resulting in high disposal costs.
Councillor Devon Williams also asked who would receive the cost recovery from user fees. Zhang explained that the authority responsible for the recycling would retain those funds.
