Curbside food waste collection

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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.

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.

Questions about food waste collection

Ask us anything about food waste collection.

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  • Share Is current Methane recovery efficient and cost effective? What happens to composting gases if city were to use this alternative waste management? How do you ensure quality of composted waste will be safe for public to use? What is the cost of city food waste pickup and composting over present waste collection and methane recovery revenue? on Facebook Share Is current Methane recovery efficient and cost effective? What happens to composting gases if city were to use this alternative waste management? How do you ensure quality of composted waste will be safe for public to use? What is the cost of city food waste pickup and composting over present waste collection and methane recovery revenue? on Twitter Share Is current Methane recovery efficient and cost effective? What happens to composting gases if city were to use this alternative waste management? How do you ensure quality of composted waste will be safe for public to use? What is the cost of city food waste pickup and composting over present waste collection and methane recovery revenue? on Linkedin Email Is current Methane recovery efficient and cost effective? What happens to composting gases if city were to use this alternative waste management? How do you ensure quality of composted waste will be safe for public to use? What is the cost of city food waste pickup and composting over present waste collection and methane recovery revenue? link

    Is current Methane recovery efficient and cost effective? What happens to composting gases if city were to use this alternative waste management? How do you ensure quality of composted waste will be safe for public to use? What is the cost of city food waste pickup and composting over present waste collection and methane recovery revenue?

    Stew asked about 1 month ago

    Thank you for your questions. Methane recovery at the Glenmore landfill (3 year average 2019-2021) was calculated at 70.7% and 68% of that was processed into renewable natural gas. Remaining captured methane was destroyed through on-site flaring therefore 29.3% of methane produced from the landfill is entering the atmosphere. 

    The landfill will continue to generate methane gas for decades to come, from material that is already landfilled. 

    Composting facilities are regulated and the finished product must meet certain criteria before it can be offered to the public for use. It has yet to be determine how the compost would be used. 

    Costs for a curbside food waste program are expected to increase in the range of $66 - $90/year for weekly organics collection, biweekly garbage collection or $94 - $118/year for weekly organics collection, weekly garbage collection.

    methane recovery, compost use, cost
    methane recovery compost use cost
  • Share Do you provide a kitchen composter to residents on Facebook Share Do you provide a kitchen composter to residents on Twitter Share Do you provide a kitchen composter to residents on Linkedin Email Do you provide a kitchen composter to residents link

    Do you provide a kitchen composter to residents

    Marianne asked about 1 month ago

    Thank you for commenting. If you mean small kitchen buckets to collect food waste before taking to the curb, this is yet to be determined.  If you mean a counter top kitchen appliance that breaks down food waste, this is not being considered as a solution for single family homes that have yard waste carts.  

  • Share We need to fix broken blue bin recycling program. Everything recyclable should go into blue bins. The amount of CO2 we produce by people taking glass bottles, plastic bags and styrofoam to waste tranfer stations is ridiculous. you wonder why landfills are filling up? people would rather throw a glass jar into the garbage than take it to a bin to recycle, huge waste of time and money on gas for vehicles. on Facebook Share We need to fix broken blue bin recycling program. Everything recyclable should go into blue bins. The amount of CO2 we produce by people taking glass bottles, plastic bags and styrofoam to waste tranfer stations is ridiculous. you wonder why landfills are filling up? people would rather throw a glass jar into the garbage than take it to a bin to recycle, huge waste of time and money on gas for vehicles. on Twitter Share We need to fix broken blue bin recycling program. Everything recyclable should go into blue bins. The amount of CO2 we produce by people taking glass bottles, plastic bags and styrofoam to waste tranfer stations is ridiculous. you wonder why landfills are filling up? people would rather throw a glass jar into the garbage than take it to a bin to recycle, huge waste of time and money on gas for vehicles. on Linkedin Email We need to fix broken blue bin recycling program. Everything recyclable should go into blue bins. The amount of CO2 we produce by people taking glass bottles, plastic bags and styrofoam to waste tranfer stations is ridiculous. you wonder why landfills are filling up? people would rather throw a glass jar into the garbage than take it to a bin to recycle, huge waste of time and money on gas for vehicles. link

    We need to fix broken blue bin recycling program. Everything recyclable should go into blue bins. The amount of CO2 we produce by people taking glass bottles, plastic bags and styrofoam to waste tranfer stations is ridiculous. you wonder why landfills are filling up? people would rather throw a glass jar into the garbage than take it to a bin to recycle, huge waste of time and money on gas for vehicles.

    enough asked about 1 month ago

    Thank you for commenting. Residential recycling in the British Columba is the responsibility of Recycle BC and in order to ensure the cleanest product for market, glass, plastic bags and styrofoam are collected at depots only. Each of these items present unique challenges for recyclers when mixed with other recyclables in a curbside cart. Glass breaks and gets imbedded in cardboard and paper as well as putting workers at risk for injury. Plastic bags act like paper on the sort line and end up mixed with paper bales being sent to mills. Styrofoam is very bulky and light and takes up space in carts and trucks. It also breaks easily and clings to other recyclables. These are the reasons Recycle BC requires this material to be collected separately at depots.  

  • Share How will local government establish and enforce Bear Smart attractant storage (garbage locked in animal proof building) and management on pick up day in communities with chronic and significant bear conflicts? on Facebook Share How will local government establish and enforce Bear Smart attractant storage (garbage locked in animal proof building) and management on pick up day in communities with chronic and significant bear conflicts? on Twitter Share How will local government establish and enforce Bear Smart attractant storage (garbage locked in animal proof building) and management on pick up day in communities with chronic and significant bear conflicts? on Linkedin Email How will local government establish and enforce Bear Smart attractant storage (garbage locked in animal proof building) and management on pick up day in communities with chronic and significant bear conflicts? link

    How will local government establish and enforce Bear Smart attractant storage (garbage locked in animal proof building) and management on pick up day in communities with chronic and significant bear conflicts?

    Bryn White asked about 1 month ago

    Thank you for your comment. Wildlife is a concern for many and occurs today, even without a separate food waste program. We will work to find the best solutions that could include education and/or enforcement around managing wildlife attractants.

    wildlife
    wildlife
  • Share Will compost still be available at the landfill and how expensive would it be due to extra shipping? During the economic calculations did you include the value of the compost at the end? Currently you sell the compost for 30 a yard. If I'm correct a yard of compost is 1/2 a tonne, you estimate 23,000 tonnes of green waste is currently composted and you indicate the compost final weight is 70% of the waste weight. If my math is correct you should produced 32,000 yards of compost valued at 1 million a year. That offsets the collection cost of the status quo. on Facebook Share Will compost still be available at the landfill and how expensive would it be due to extra shipping? During the economic calculations did you include the value of the compost at the end? Currently you sell the compost for 30 a yard. If I'm correct a yard of compost is 1/2 a tonne, you estimate 23,000 tonnes of green waste is currently composted and you indicate the compost final weight is 70% of the waste weight. If my math is correct you should produced 32,000 yards of compost valued at 1 million a year. That offsets the collection cost of the status quo. on Twitter Share Will compost still be available at the landfill and how expensive would it be due to extra shipping? During the economic calculations did you include the value of the compost at the end? Currently you sell the compost for 30 a yard. If I'm correct a yard of compost is 1/2 a tonne, you estimate 23,000 tonnes of green waste is currently composted and you indicate the compost final weight is 70% of the waste weight. If my math is correct you should produced 32,000 yards of compost valued at 1 million a year. That offsets the collection cost of the status quo. on Linkedin Email Will compost still be available at the landfill and how expensive would it be due to extra shipping? During the economic calculations did you include the value of the compost at the end? Currently you sell the compost for 30 a yard. If I'm correct a yard of compost is 1/2 a tonne, you estimate 23,000 tonnes of green waste is currently composted and you indicate the compost final weight is 70% of the waste weight. If my math is correct you should produced 32,000 yards of compost valued at 1 million a year. That offsets the collection cost of the status quo. link

    Will compost still be available at the landfill and how expensive would it be due to extra shipping? During the economic calculations did you include the value of the compost at the end? Currently you sell the compost for 30 a yard. If I'm correct a yard of compost is 1/2 a tonne, you estimate 23,000 tonnes of green waste is currently composted and you indicate the compost final weight is 70% of the waste weight. If my math is correct you should produced 32,000 yards of compost valued at 1 million a year. That offsets the collection cost of the status quo.

    Jason asked about 2 months ago

    Thank you for your question,

    Glengrow would still be available at the landfill as it would still be produced from commercial yard waste however it would be produced in smaller volumes as curbside yard waste would be sent to a different composting facility if food waste was included. Annual revenue for GlenGrow compost is around $340,000 annually and does not fully cover the cost of the composting operation at the Glenmore Landfill and therefore would not be able to offset the cost of an expanded organics program that includes food waste.

    glengrow
    glengrow
  • Share Why not have a separate bin for food waste. The volume of food waste will be much smaller than the yard waste that is collected in the green bin. We should not ship out the vast amount of yard waste. We should continue to compost our green waste, the compost from it is a valuable resource for our city. on Facebook Share Why not have a separate bin for food waste. The volume of food waste will be much smaller than the yard waste that is collected in the green bin. We should not ship out the vast amount of yard waste. We should continue to compost our green waste, the compost from it is a valuable resource for our city. on Twitter Share Why not have a separate bin for food waste. The volume of food waste will be much smaller than the yard waste that is collected in the green bin. We should not ship out the vast amount of yard waste. We should continue to compost our green waste, the compost from it is a valuable resource for our city. on Linkedin Email Why not have a separate bin for food waste. The volume of food waste will be much smaller than the yard waste that is collected in the green bin. We should not ship out the vast amount of yard waste. We should continue to compost our green waste, the compost from it is a valuable resource for our city. link

    Why not have a separate bin for food waste. The volume of food waste will be much smaller than the yard waste that is collected in the green bin. We should not ship out the vast amount of yard waste. We should continue to compost our green waste, the compost from it is a valuable resource for our city.

    Jason asked about 2 months ago

    Using a separate food waste bin was included as an option during our food waste collection feasibility study. Adding food waste to existing yard waste carts however came out as the top ranked option for managing our food waste. 

    Yard waste will continue to be composted and it is yet to be determined if this finished compost will be made available to residents in the region.  Yard waste that is not collected curbside (i.e. from landscapers etc. or self hauled from residents) will continue to be composted into Glengrow at the Glenmore landfill.

    finished compost use
    finished compost use
  • Share How many trucks per day will be required to remove the green waste from our region to the compost location? How many miles per day will be required? How much will this increase our CO2 footprint, currently the methane from the decomposed food waste is captured as RNG? on Facebook Share How many trucks per day will be required to remove the green waste from our region to the compost location? How many miles per day will be required? How much will this increase our CO2 footprint, currently the methane from the decomposed food waste is captured as RNG? on Twitter Share How many trucks per day will be required to remove the green waste from our region to the compost location? How many miles per day will be required? How much will this increase our CO2 footprint, currently the methane from the decomposed food waste is captured as RNG? on Linkedin Email How many trucks per day will be required to remove the green waste from our region to the compost location? How many miles per day will be required? How much will this increase our CO2 footprint, currently the methane from the decomposed food waste is captured as RNG? link

    How many trucks per day will be required to remove the green waste from our region to the compost location? How many miles per day will be required? How much will this increase our CO2 footprint, currently the methane from the decomposed food waste is captured as RNG?

    Jason asked about 2 months ago

    Thank you for your question. The number of trucks, distance etc. were all included in GHG calculation portion of the feasibility study to determine preferred method for food waste collection.  Four different methods of managing food waste (status quo, separate food waste container, adding to yard waste and using a kitchen appliance).  If looking at GHG alone, some of these options were better than others however when looking at all the criteria that we evaluated each of these methods on (financial, environmental, social impacts and policy and adaptability) adding food waste to existing yard waste carts rated as the preferred option.

    You are correct that methane generated from decomposing food waste is captured as RNG however it is not 100% and there is still methane that ends up in the atmosphere.

    ghg
    ghg
  • Share What items would still be considered garbage on Facebook Share What items would still be considered garbage on Twitter Share What items would still be considered garbage on Linkedin Email What items would still be considered garbage link

    What items would still be considered garbage

    Dbs asked about 2 months ago

    Items currently accepted as garbage will remain much the same, other than materials that will become part of the food waste program.

    What will be included as food waste will depend on the final processing facility and what they accept. Other curbside food waste programs typically include a wide range of material such as all food scraps, cooked meat, bones, grains, fresh fruits and vegetable peelings, soiled paper (paper towels, napkins, dirty pizza boxes). 

  • Share What options are there for condo, apartment dwellers which make up.a huge percentage of Kelowna residents. We are already limited on what we can recycle in bins much more so than private houses. In a city of numerous multi dwellings more needs to be done to include all residents. on Facebook Share What options are there for condo, apartment dwellers which make up.a huge percentage of Kelowna residents. We are already limited on what we can recycle in bins much more so than private houses. In a city of numerous multi dwellings more needs to be done to include all residents. on Twitter Share What options are there for condo, apartment dwellers which make up.a huge percentage of Kelowna residents. We are already limited on what we can recycle in bins much more so than private houses. In a city of numerous multi dwellings more needs to be done to include all residents. on Linkedin Email What options are there for condo, apartment dwellers which make up.a huge percentage of Kelowna residents. We are already limited on what we can recycle in bins much more so than private houses. In a city of numerous multi dwellings more needs to be done to include all residents. link

    What options are there for condo, apartment dwellers which make up.a huge percentage of Kelowna residents. We are already limited on what we can recycle in bins much more so than private houses. In a city of numerous multi dwellings more needs to be done to include all residents.

    Lakeside asked about 2 months ago

    Multifamily is not being considered at this time but will be a future consideration. Most multifamily waste management is currently handled through private waste haulers and will require working with private haulers and multifamily buildings to come up with a solution for food waste.

    multifamily
    multifamily
  • Share Would a 14 unit strata where each unit has it’s own separate bins be included. If not what happens to our present yard waste puckup on Facebook Share Would a 14 unit strata where each unit has it’s own separate bins be included. If not what happens to our present yard waste puckup on Twitter Share Would a 14 unit strata where each unit has it’s own separate bins be included. If not what happens to our present yard waste puckup on Linkedin Email Would a 14 unit strata where each unit has it’s own separate bins be included. If not what happens to our present yard waste puckup link

    Would a 14 unit strata where each unit has it’s own separate bins be included. If not what happens to our present yard waste puckup

    Dbs asked about 2 months ago

    If your strata unit currently has yard waste collection, you would be included.

Page last updated: 03 Jul 2024, 02:36 PM