EDMONTON – The City of Edmonton is preparing to introduce a new bylaw that would make recycling and composting mandatory for all commercial and industrial businesses. This strategic move follows recent data showing that the non-residential sector—including businesses, construction sites, and institutions—generates approximately 70% of the city’s total waste. Since over half of this waste consists of organic material, the city believes that requiring businesses to sort their trash into multiple streams will significantly reduce the burden on local landfills and help meet environmental sustainability goals.
The proposed policy aims to align Edmonton with other major Canadian cities like Calgary and Vancouver, where similar commercial waste diversion programs have already seen success. City officials are currently in the process of gathering feedback from local business owners through surveys and workshops to refine the “ICI (Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional) Waste Roadmap.” This roadmap is expected to be presented to a city council committee by the summer of 2026, with the final version of the regulations taking shape shortly thereafter.
While many business owners support the goal of a “Zero Waste” city, they have expressed concerns regarding the potential financial and operational impact. Key issues raised include the cost of purchasing new sorting bins, limited space for extra containers, and the time required to train staff on the new three-stream system. In response, the city is considering offering educational toolkits and potential grants or rebates for “early adopters” to ease the transition. Additionally, the plan will address the construction sector by exploring new ways to reuse building materials and debris.
