By Dylana Milobar

Free Landfill Day making its return to Kamloops landfills

Apr 5, 2019 | 4:11 PM

KAMLOOPS — Spring cleaners in Kamloops won’t be paying to get rid of waste this weekend, with Free Landfill Day on Sunday (April 7).

There will be no charge to use the Mission Flats and Barnhartvale landfills, provided the correct materials are being disposed of.

The appeal of a freebie does draw long line ups, but Streets and Environmental Services Manager Glen Farrow says the reality is, most people only save between $6 and $11 per load for those hour-long waits.

On top of that, Farrow says one of the challenges they see every year is a lack of diversion. 

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People rushing to utilize the free event often don’t sort what needs to go to the dump, and what materials can actually be recycled, he says.

“So in some cases, it’s the worst possible thing for our goals and our incentives for improved diversion. The amount of cardboard and recycling that’s landfilled is quite sad on these particular days.”

The excitement around the free opportunity can bring disposal mistakes, and with that, Farrow says the city has been looking at making changes to the annual event.

“You know, is it a token you receive with your utility bill? Is it every homeowner receives a five dollar coupon or something, rather than just making it free, free, free right across the board,” He explains, “It’s one of the many things we’re looking at in the whole solid waste operation.”

This year’s program will run from 8:30 a.m to 4:30 p.m from the Mission Flats and Barnhartvale landfills. 

Farrow also warns there is a good chance for hour-long wait times, and if people don’t secure their loads, they can be ticketed for any objects that fly off their vehicles along the way.