The small load fee comes into effect at the Foothills landfill this weekend.
As of Sept. 1, loads of household waste weighing less than 100 kilograms will be require a $6 fee.
All vehicles carrying waste will be weighed as they enter and exit the landfill to determine the total weight of their load. The fee won't be applied to loads that only contain recyclables or yard and garden waste.
Mixed loads carrying waste and recyclables will need to be separated so the two portions can be weighed individually. Loads that aren't separated will be charged based on the entire weight.
"This new fee is being introduced to ensure those who use the landfill more are paying more, rather than all residents subsidizing those frequent users," said Regional District of Fraser-Fort George director Terry Burgess, who chairs the board's environment and parks steering committee. "It is also part of a waste reduction strategy to provide an incentive for residents to generate less waste."
Residents in Electoral Area A - including Ness Lake, Nukko Lake and Salmon Valley - aren't subject to the new charge.
According to the regional district, many of these residents aren't already serviced by a transfer station and have no reasonable access to waste disposal other than through the Foothills dump. Those households have been provided with a swipe card to cover 50 visits per year to the landfill.
The revenue generated from the new fee will be applied to the landfill's operating costs. Solid waste services in the regional district cost $10 million per year, with the landfill the largest solid waste operation in the regional district.
