Fredericton Region Solid Waste is making a change to how it handles gyprock materials from commercial and residential customers.
A new process will see FRSW – a division of Capital Region Service Commission – divert all gyprock materials from the landfill debris site to its construction and demolition site.
The construction and demolition landfill site is a non-engineered facility that is not designed for the disposal of regular household or commercial garbage. The site only accepts the following:
• concrete, brick, and untreated wood,
• siding, ceiling tile, gyprock, insulation,
• solid roofing materials such as asphalt shingles,
• glass from doors and windows,
• metal, wood, and durable plastic structural materials from the demolition of a building,
• toilets, bathtubs, wash basins, and plumbing fixtures,
• floor coverings attached to a building during demolition,
• broken and aged asphalt, or
• any mixture of (1) thru (9)
Regular garbage tonnage is $102 per tonne, but the construction and demolition site is $42.50 which represents a significant savings for customers diverting gyprock materials. Please note, the tipping fee for regular garbage tonnage is expected to change on Jan. 1, 2024.
Gyprock, when mixed with organic waste in the landfill and exposed to rain and snow in an anaerobic environment, can become a source of hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S), limiting FRSW’s ability to reduce landfill gases by damaging components of the landfill gas management system and impacting the ability to bring new gas extraction wells online.
Moving gyprock to the construction and demolition site will minimize the damage to gas treatment infrastructure caused by gyprock that is decomposing in the landfill.
Contractors and residents will no longer be permitted to mix gyprock and garbage/when delivering product to the Fredericton Regional Landfill at 1775 Alison Blvd.
Instead, customers will be asked to separate their loads prior to arrival and ensure all gyprock materials are dropped off at the construction and demolition site.
‘We understand there is an established practice of dropping off gyprock mixed with other garbage materials at our landfill facility, but we are continuing to take a pro-active and environmentally conscious approach to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions,’ said the Capital Region Service Commission’s (CRSC) executive director, Brett McCrea. ‘We want to ensure that our customers are given sufficient notice in advance of the 2024 construction season so there are no surprises when they arrive at our facility. Our Solid Waste Division continues to search for ways to ensure we are good neighbours and environmental stewards. This is another positive step for our community.’
The new approach will take effect April 1, 2024.
When customers approach the scales with gyprock, operators will direct drivers to the construction and demolition site to the right of the main landfill disposal area.
FRSW opened in 1986 and has six lines of business including construction and demolition, garbage, recycling, household hazardous waste, landfill gas to energy and electronic waste collection.
The non-profit entity has operated under CRSC’s umbrella since Jan. 1, 2023.