Tuesday March 24, 2026 | LANGFORD, Bc
Local news analysis by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
As Langford continues to grow, the municipality is exploring options to improve how waste is managed across the community.
In recent years, residents and visitors have raised concerns to the City of Langford about overflowing public garbage cans, illegal dumping, wildlife attraction, and the overall impact of waste collection on neighbourhoods, roads and the environment.
A well-coordinated affordable waste collection system can be a contributing factor to any city’s livability and public health.
Langford residents can provide feedback on their priorities related to cost and level of service and perspectives on a potential City‑contracted program.
Public input will be combined with technical research and comparisons with other communities to help inform Council’s future decisions.
Public input by survey:
The City of Langford says their Waste Collection Options Survey is an important part of exploring how the City should proceed on this issue.
The survey is open to end of day Wednesday April 8, 2026.
Survey questions include how satisfied you are with your current service, the price you would be willing to pay for a municipal service (compared to what you pay now), frequency of pickup (weekly or biweekly), whether organics and yard waste pickup is needed (in addition to household waste).
There is no open comment section and no mention of composting.
Public input by email:
Any other input can be provided by email to engineering@langford.ca
Garbage pickup is currently a direct-pay service:
Residential garbage and organics collection in Langford currently is delivered as a private service through various companies and services including CCR Recycling, GFL Environmental, reFUSE, Sooke Disposal, Pan-insula Disposal, Waste Connections of Canada, WM and also the CRD’s Hartland Landfill.
Organics are also picked up by disposal services, though many households also now compost their organic kitchen waste.
In other words, each household or multi-family building must purchase waste collection services directly from private companies or choose how, where and how often they use garbage and organic waste services.
Shifting to municipal service:
As stated in the survey introduction, Council has directed staff to explore whether a more coordinated, city‑wide approach could better support affordability, environmental protection, and consistent service for all households.
Some of this initiative comes from people who don’t purchase garbage collection services but dump their garbage haphazardly or not at all.
One option being explored is a single, municipally‑contracted curbside garbage and organics collection (food and yard waste) service for single family homes, duplexes, and small stratas only (not large apartment buildings or commercial premises).
The City would choose one City-contracted service provider.
The City of Langford does not have its own full-service public works yard (like Oak Bay, Saanich and Colwood).
No decisions have been made on the potential frequency of a curbside collection program.
Three goals:
The goals for the City’s proposed transition are to:
- Support affordability for residents.
- Ensure every home has proper waste pickup to help stop the misuse of public garbage cans and illegal dumping.
- Reduce traffic, noise, and environmental impacts by having fewer collection trucks driving through our neighbourhoods.
===== RELATED:
NEWS SECTIONS: LANGFORD | DISPOSAL & RECYCLING | MUNICIPAL ELECTION 2026