The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) has opened three organic waste disposal sites.
As of Jan. 22, residential and commercial customers will be able to utilize the new service of separated organic waste disposal at the Grohman Narrows, Ootischenia, and the Central (Salmo) waste facilities.
Accepted materials include all food wastes, such as fruit and vegetable scraps, meats, small bones, cooked food, grains, and dairy, as well as food soiled paper products, and other material fit to be composted in the RDCK’s new composting facilities.
Items such as glass, plastics, metals, and other household wastes or recycling are not accepted. Compostable plastic products are are also not allowed.
Information on accepted and prohibited items,can be found at rdck.ca/organics, and Schedules H & I of the RDCK Resource Recovery Facilities Regulatory Bylaw.
Once brought to the composting facilities, the collected material is mixed with chipped, clean wood waste, yard and garden materials, and food scraps from surrounding community organics collection services like the City of Castlegar’s curbside organics program.
The Creston Landfill has been accepting organic waste from all sectors since the Creston composting facility opened in June of 2022.
For the communities in and around Nelson, Castlegar, and Salmo, the additional organic waste disposal sites will provide a great alternative to throwing organics in the garbage whenever backyard composting, curbside collection, drop-off, or other options are not available.
The RDCK says that while mixed waste is now $151.25 per tonne, organic waste can be disposed of for $96.75 per tonne.
Customers can bring in organic waste by the container (max 121 liters) and only be charged $2.50 for the first four containers.
The district is offering a pilot incentive program to encourage customers to separate their organics from the rest of their garbage whenever possible. If brought in with mixed waste (garbage), customers can dispose of one container of separated organic waste for free.
The RDCK says organic waste in landfills creates significant problems.
It takes up finite landfill space, impacting capacity and lifespan of these costly sites.
It pollutes the environment through contributing to the generation of leachate (run-off from landfills).
When it rots in an oxygen-poor environment such as a landfill, large amounts of methane are generated. Landfill-generated methane accounts for up to 23 per cent of national methane emissions. As a greenhouse gas, methane has a global warming potential more than 80 times greater than carbon dioxide (CO2) over a 20-year period.
Diverting this material to composting facilities greatly reduces the negative impacts of landfilled organic wastes, according to the district.
In addition, composting turns waste products into a valuable resource for the production of healthy soils, plants, and food.
The RDCK Organic Waste Diversion Program, including construction of the composting facilities, transfer station upgrades, and start-up costs for municipal curbside green bin programs have been generously funded by the federal and provincial governments, and the Columbia Basin Trust. The RDCK gratefully acknowledges the assistance of these funders.
To find out more about the RDCK Organics Waste Diversion Program and view facility hours of operation, go to www.rdck.ca/organics. To ask a question about the organic waste diversion program, go to https://engage.rdck.ca/organics, email organics@rdck.ca, or call 250-551-6647.