Industrial, Commercial, Institutional

What is ICI waste?

Industrial, Commercial, Institutional (ICI) Waste is all of the waste that is generated at commercial properties, whether retail or industrial, or institutional properties such as the schools. A 2020 waste study found that approximately 47% of the waste that goes into the Squamish landfill is generated by the ICI sector. This is the largest segment, with residential waste representing 31% of the waste.

Almost 75% of the garbage coming from ICI properties in Squamish is either organics, plastic, or paper. These materials can and should recycled or composted.

Under the solid waste bylaw, ICI properties are required to separate garbage, organics and recyclables into appropriate collection containers, prior to disposal.

This includes:

• Separating waste into multiple streams: recycling, organics and garbage.
• Placing garbage in clear bags.
• Limiting mixed waste to no more than 20% of total waste in the first year (2018), reducing 5% each year to a target of 5%.
• Building managers are required to provide educational material to residents, tenants, employees and contractors.

• Tracking your waste diversion.
• Do your own waste composition audit. (Excel file)
• Ask your service provider if they have information they can share with you. You can also estimate based on the volume collected each month. 

You can start with a really simple assessment. Take a look in a couple of bags of garbage produced at different times of day in your business, and pull out the most common materials. Can they diverted? This is a starting point for making some recycling improvements.

For a more thorough audit, use the tools available in industry-specific Recycling Guides below.

To support ICI properties, the District of Squamish provides:

• Assistance with signage, informational materials, and implementation logistics.
• Guidance on waste room sizing, location and access.
• Free workshops about how the new bylaw will affect ICI properties
• A Waste Audit and Diversion Tool