East Richmond landfill receives permit extension to 2060

An east Richmond landfill for demolition waste has permission to operate until 2060 and to fill 10 metres higher than originally allowed. Ecowaste Industries, which occupies about 200 acres between No. 6 and No. 8 roads south of Blundell Road, asked Richmond city council to extend operations by 25 years and permit demolition waste to reach 28 metres above sea level. Council approved the application on Oct. 13. The previous permit ran only until 2035.

Ecowaste CEO Ken Low said the company has invested millions of dollars in its existing materials recovery facilities, which recycle and reuse wood, soil, biosolids, ceramics, asphalt and concrete. He said the company is looking for regulatory certainty as it considers further investments in technology, equipment and facilities to increase diversion and recycling rates. An Ecowaste spokesperson said the extension to 2060 and the 28-metre height would provide certainty for further investment, and the company would continue adding recovery capacity as markets for specific materials develop.

The demolition-waste company had planned a $50-million recycling recovery facility, but Ecowaste says the plan is on hold. The company said “the market has told us” that several smaller material recovery facilities, each focused on a specific material, make more sense at this time.

The landfill was formerly in the Agricultural Land Reserve; the provincial government removed it in 2023. The land remains zoned for agriculture under City of Richmond bylaws. With council’s approval extending operations to 2060, the landfill now complies with the zoning. The extension is considered a “temporary use,” after which the recycling facilities must be taken down.

The Metro Vancouver Regional Growth Strategy designates the property as agricultural. Changing that designation after 2060 would require Metro Vancouver approval to change the urban containment area.