Starting Monday, March 3, all residents receiving curbside garbage/recycling collection will also benefit from the return of yard waste pickup every two weeks until the end of December.
“It’s important to open the lid and check the contents of your yard waste cart before you put it out for the first time,” says Cynthia Coates, Supervisor of Solid Waste Services. “Make sure to remove anything that may have landed in there by mistake over the winter months. Items such as flowerpots, garbage, plastics, bags of any kind, kitchen/food scraps, pet waste, rocks, sod and recycling should be removed as they could damage equipment or compromise the composting process.”
Each year, the yard waste pickup program collects close to 15,000 tonnes of yard waste at the curb. All the yard waste collected curbside is composted and given new life as a valuable soil enhancer. It’s important to keep it free of any plastic, garbage or other matter that could contaminate the product.
Residents are reminded to put their yard waste cart out by 7 a.m. on the morning of their regular garbage day, to loosen up any frozen contents and to not overload carts.
The following items are accepted in yard waste carts:
- Leaves, tree needles
- Branches, prunings (up to 5 centimeters (2 inches) in diameter and less than one meter (3 feet) in length)
- Wood chips, bark
- Garden plants
- Fruit droppings
- Grass clippings
For additional yard waste carts and collection options, contact the municipality or visit rdco.com/yardwaste.
To determine yard waste collection weeks, download the Recycle Coach app, check out the waste plug-in or check out the Living Greener Calendar found at rdco.com/recycle.
If you are interested in purchasing the finished compost GlenGrow from the Glenmore landfill, visit Kelowna.ca or call 250-469-8868.
Thanks to funding from Recycle BC, the Regional District of Central Okanagan, is once again hosting a series of pop-up recycling depots for Peachland and Lake Country residents this year. These depots provide convenient access to recycling services, diverting tonnes of material from landfills.
The Pop-Up Recycling Depots make it easier for residents to responsibly recycle depot-only recyclable materials, especially for those without easy access to nearby recycling facilities. This saves Peachland residents from driving to West Kelowna and Lake Country residents from driving to Kelowna to recycle depot only material.
Residents can drop off recyclables not accepted in curbside carts, such as foam packaging, plastic bags, overwrap and other flexible plastics (e.g. wrappers, zipper bags, stand-up pouches), glass bottles and jars. Electronics, light bulbs and fixtures and household batteries will also be accepted. These depots are for residential recycling only, not business recycling.
“The goal is to make recycling more accessible to our residents. These events have proven to be a valuable resource for our communities. We strive to connect with as many residents as possible, increase recycling awareness and keep recyclable material out of the landfill. Residents appreciate having additional recycling options in their neighborhoods,” says Cynthia Coates, Supervisor of Solid Waste Services with the Regional District of Central Okanagan.
Brendan McShane, Director of Collection with Recycle BC, says, “We are excited about our continued partnership with the Regional District of Central Okanagan in offering pop-up events this year. These events provide an opportunity to manage materials not accepted in curbside programs, ensuring responsible recycling and keeping them out of landfills and our environment.”
Lake Country Pop-Up Schedule:
- Fourth Saturday of the month, March to October, at the parking lot at the corner of Main Street and Hill Road (3165 Hill Road), 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- March 22
- April 26
- May 24
- June 28
- July 26
- August 23
- September 27
- October 25
The District of Lake Country will again be offering monthly prize draws for all that participate in brining their depot only recyclables to the Pop-up event the fourth Saturday of each month March to October.
For more information about the pop-up depots or recyclable materials, visit rdco.com/recycle or email recycle@rdco.com.
