A 30-week food waste collection and composting trial involving nine depots and transfer stations in the CSRD was completed in 2016.
Due to very low levels of participation, the program has been discontinued as it wasn’t a cost-effective approach to waste reduction.
The goal of achieving a food waste disposal ban by 2020 remains as an important strategic objective for the CSRD. One key factor supporting this objective is the enormous cost to close an existing landfill (about $3.4 million) and to open a replacement (another $12.5 million).
The solid waste characterization study done in 2013 showed that food waste, or compostable organics, was the single largest waste category in contributing 23.8 per cent of all waste deposited at the Salmon Arm landfill.
Paper and plastics were the next two largest categories at 17.4 per cent and 17.2 per cent, respectively. So, over 50 per cent of the waste being deposited at our landfill is recyclable, and can therefore be diverted to other programs that will manage this waste in a much more environmentally-friendly manner.
At transfer stations across the CSRD, residents can deposit recyclables sorted into six different categories including paper/fibre, metal and plastic containers, white Styrofoam, coloured Styrofoam, plastic overwrap and glass bottles.
Bottle depots are also used by residents to return cans and bottles that provide a cash deposit. Resident participation in these various recycling programs is far less than optimal, as indicated by the waste characterization study. We can do much better!
CSRD staff are now proposing that curbside pick-up of recyclables and garbage be considered in order to increase the amount of waste being recycled.
Currently, several private waste management companies are collecting garbage across Area C.
For a once-weekly pick-up of one bag of garbage, these companies charge homeowners $180 to $230 per year. With these services, no monitoring of waste occurs so, undoubtedly, recyclables end up in this waste.
A new study has been completed which calculates that we could have weekly pick-up (52 pick-ups) of compostable organic waste, and biweekly pickup (26 pick-ups) of paper/plastics and garbage costing each homeowner between $240 and $270 per year.
If we could combine this service contract with the service provided to Sicamous, the annual costs could be reduced to $215 to $230 per year. Combining with Salmon Arm could potentially yield further cost reductions.
Seasonal residents could participate with a half-year service agreement.
A key benefit of curbside pickup is the significant increase in recyclable waste volumes that will occur as well as the overall reduction of household waste being deposited at the landfill. This benefits all of us as the cost for a new landfill is moved into the more distant future.
Recyclables are reused as new products and this represents a more environmentally responsible way to deal with household waste and the limited resources on this planet.
This proposed program is currently in the developmental stage, and new information will become available over time. As this information comes available, I will cover this in future columns. At present, the timetable being considered is to initiate curbside pickup in Area C in 2018.
-Paul Demenok is the Area C Director for the Columbia Shuswap Regional District