Engagement Update: July 03,2024

UPDATE: July 03, 2024

Phase Two of public engagement on curbside food waste collection is now closed. Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, we received over 4000 survey responses!

We will be reporting back on the survey results with the "Phase Two What We Heard Report" later this summer. The results will be presented to local Councils in late August and early September, and to the Regional Board later this fall.

Please check back to yoursay.rdco.com for updates to the curbside food waste collection program this fall.

Let’s talk food waste: Have your say on food waste collection in the Central Okanagan

Last fall, the RDCO initiated Phase One of engagement to gauge community support for a food waste collection program in the Central Okanagan. The results were promising, with 73% of respondents expressing enthusiasm for such a program and 83% saying they would likely participate in a food waste program if it was implemented. Detailed results from Phase One engagement can be found in the What We Heard Report.

Your opinion matters

Your interest in a food waste collection program for the Central Okanagan hasn't gone unnoticed! We're launching Phase Two of engagement for the month of June and we want to hear from you. Help shape what food waste collection in the Central Okanagan could look like. Your feedback will directly shape the decision criteria, helping us design a program for success that serves residents region-wide.

What we need from you

As part of Phase Two, we're asking for your feedback on various aspects of the proposed food waste program, including:

• Elements to be considered when locating a transfer station.
• How often your garbage is collected.
• Costs related to collection, transport and processing of food waste.
• Further opportunities for engagement.
• Your preferred methods for education and outreach.

How to get involved

1. Complete the survey

• Complete the Phase Two survey at between June 3 and July 2, 2024. By completing the survey, you will be entered into a draw for a chance to win one of five $50 grocery store gift cards.
• Prefer paper and pen? Printed surveys will also be available at the front counters of municipal halls across the region and the Glenmore Landfill administration building. Complete the survey on site and return it to front counter staff or bring it home and return to any municipal office or the RDCO office at 1450 KLO Road, Kelowna, BC V1W 3Z4 before July 2, 2024.

2. Ask questions and leave comments

• We want to hear from you! Leave your questions below in the "Questions" section. Our waste reduction experts will be answering questions throughout the month.
• We'd also love to see you in person. Our experts will be out in your community throughout the month at pop-up events (see the calendar of events below). Stop by and ask your questions, share your comments or take the survey. We look forward to seeing you.

What happens next?

The results from Phase One and Phase Two of engagement will be used as criteria to design a proposed curbside food waste program. The results will be presented to each municipal council as well as the RDCO Board in late 2024.

About the food waste program

Did you know that currently, 41% of residential garbage is compostable. Food waste and other compostables that are buried at the Glenmore landfill, decompose, and produce methane gas, a powerful greenhouse gas. Almost 70% of this gas is collected using underground pipes within the garbage and sent to a renewable natural gas upgrade plant located at the landfill. The remaining methane gas, however, enters the atmosphere and contributes to climate change.

Currently, there is no municipal food waste collection service in the Central Okanagan as there is no processing facility in the region. Compostable materials in residential curbside garbage make up nearly 50 per cent of our community’s landfill-bound waste stream including 41% food waste and soiled paper and 6.8% other compostables like yard waste. By introducing a food waste collection program, we could divert at least 7,500 tonnes of waste from the landfill per year. Reducing the volume of waste in the landfill will help extend its lifespan and reduce emissions that contribute to climate change. Properly disposing of food waste also ensures that the nutrients from discarded food are returned to the environment, benefiting our ecosystem.