OUR MISSION

Coast Waste Management Association fosters environmental leadership and best practices by providing a forum for discussion, education, and networking.

WE VALUE…

Connections
We endeavour to provide compelling forums for networking, collaboration, and idea sharing.

Community
We build on members’ common interests, help each other, and work together.

Objectivity
We are open-minded and encourage actively listening to opinions and new ideas.

Inclusivity
We welcome everyone and ensure there are no barriers to participate in our community.

Learning
We ensure members have opportunities to acquire new knowledge and skills.

Professionalism
We treat one another with respect and courtesy.

WHO WE ARE

Coast Waste Management Association is a membership association serving the solid waste industry in coastal British Columbia.

With over 170 organizations as members comprising an active network of over 780 individuals, our membership approach ensures we can connect at all levels of an organization and across our industry.

We are also very fortunate to have a greater community reach to over 4000 industry professionals from organizations outside of our membership who participate in our events and expand our reach of knowledge.

We draw from every area of the industry: from the private sector, local and regional governments, and non-profit organizations. Our members are predominantly from Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, Metro Vancouver, and the Sunshine Coast, as well as from across British Columbia, Canada and the USA.

CWMA members are involved in such diverse activities as recycling, composting, deconstruction, extended product stewardship, policy development, analysis, waste disposal, environmental education and consulting, and managing solid waste facilities.

We are proud to be a neutral and welcoming association for all industry sectors and regions across BC. We have helped make hundreds of connections which have been the catalyst for collaborations, inspirations, and new best practices in solid waste management and environmental leadership.

WHAT WE DO

CWMA offers a forum to assist our membership in meeting the challenges and opportunities of solid waste management in our region.

We do this by facilitating forums, opening communication, and offering networking and educational opportunities for members and friends of CWMA.

We provide an annual conference, ongoing sessions, workshops, and effective working groups for more topic-specific discussions. Key values include our very popular, curated weekly industry news compilation and some of the best networking opportunities in the industry. Learn more about the value CWMA provides.

Read more about our mandate in the CWMA Bylaws.

Our Board of Directors is set on ensuring we continue to be one of the strongest and most rewarding local networks in the industry. Meet our Current Members. Learn more about our history.

WHY COAST?

Originally, CWMA was formed and supported by regional districts on Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities in British Columbia. Learn more about our history.

The ideal was to come together regularly to discuss and inspire solutions for managing solid waste in general and with context to the unique challenges of coastal regions in particular. BC coastal regions and Island communities are surrounded by important ecosystems that are under pressure from population growth, tourism, and a lack of infrastructure, space or options. These factors contribute to a more complex solid waste management situation which can benefit from coordinated efforts and information sharing to rethink ways to manage solid waste.

Our membership has evolved and grown and extended across BC especially with the ease of participation thanks to technology. Our focus on coastal communities will always remain a key part of the connections we make and the forums we provide, but we welcome everyone who would benefit from participating as a member.