The hazardous waste depot at the Steinbach landfill is so popular that plans are underway to expand it. Eldon Wallman, Manager - Solid Waste for the city, says people in Steinbach are bringing in hazardous waste at a rate of 11 kilograms per household each year, which is double the amount in Winnipeg.

"December will be six years that we've had our depot open. We truly thought that after the first year or so, it would peter out a little bit because everyone will have cleaned out their sheds and everything and got rid of all the old Mcleod's paint and fluorescent light bulbs out of their shops. But it hasn't, it has actually grown and we still an increase coming all the time."

Wallman says in 2018, Steinbach residents brought in 56,000 kilograms of hazardous waste. He notes it takes an awful lot of old batteries, paint cans, oil containers and light bulbs to make up that kind of weight. He adds these items are at the top of the list to be kept out of the landfill itself.

Wallman says Steinbach is currently working on expansion plans with the people from B.C. who run the hazardous waste program across Canada.

"They are very good with helping you if you want to expand. They are very generous with funding for that, you just have to prove that you need it. They've been here many times, looking at our site and they understand that we maybe should have built this twice the size of what it is. We're just working that out with them right now, the logistics of how we're going to get this done."

Wallman anticipates the expansion will take place next year.