Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Silvia Senna

Organic garbage collection

Over 100 tons collected in the first week of organics collection in Kamloops

Aug 28, 2023 | 4:21 PM

KAMLOOPS — It’s the second week of organic garbage collection in Kamloops following a one-year pilot program. Already it seems residents are happy to take advantage of the service.

Kimberley Mackay is a mother of three, which leads to a large amount of garbage. Since taking part in the pilot program, she hasn’t encountered any problems so far. “I’ve had at least one [child] in diapers the entire program, which I know is a concern for a lot of people, but it was a pretty quick transition. We have one of the large garbage cans and we’ve never gone over, even at Christmas, we’ve never gone over as far as garbage,” she said.

One common concern among residents centres around bears. However, Marcia Dick, the Solid Waste Reduction Coordinator, explains that should not be a problem. “Bears are equally attracted to that (organic) material when they are in your garbage can, so it’s more of a shift in where the materials are going,” Dick said. “We are not going to see more bears, we just going to have to be diligent with our organic carts instead of our garbage cans,” she added.

The City is hoping the program will help extend the life of the landfill by 3 years or more, something that organic waste has proven to provide as a major benefit in other municipalities.

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Another added benefit is the impact on the environment. Within the first week, the City collected over 100 tons of organic material. “When that waste breaks down on the landfill, it produces methane, which is significantly worse than carbon dioxide (a gas produced in composting),” said Glen Farrow, Streets and Environmental Services Manager. “The fact we were able to turn it into a valuable resource as compost, it’s been absolutely spectacular,” said Glen Farrow, Streets and Environmental Services Manager.

In one year, the goal is to collect 58 hundred tons of organic material. Residents looking for more information on the new organic collection program are encouraged to visit the City’s website or download the WasteWise App.