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Curbside recycling collection only option in Spallumcheen

Landfill in township no longer accepting blue bag after end of December
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Spallumcheen residents who take blue bag recycling to the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) facility on Powerhouse Road won’t be able to do it after this month.

The Regional District of North Okanagan will not accept blue bags at landfills after Dec. 31.

“We have approximately 220 self-haulers, so it will hit our residents quite a bit,” said township Mayor Christine Fraser. “They can still put their bags curbside and Tip-It will continue to pick it up.”

Spallumcheen has a collection contract with Tip-It Waste Solutions through 2019.

RELATED: Curbside recycling gets approval

Every house in Spallumcheen is charged for pickup at curbside, whether they self-haul to the landfill or not.

“For some people, self-haul is easier as they’re going to the landfill anyway, so they take their recycling,” said Fraser, whose own family is self-hauling, but will not put bags at the end of their driveway.

The RDNO currently provides Recycling Drop Centres at all six of its facilities throughout the North Okanagan, including the one on Powerhouse Road. The drop centres are separate from any residential recycling and depot programs provided by Recycle BC.

According to its website, RDNO drop centre will not accept the following items as of Jan. 1:

* Printed Paper - Paper Packaging;

* Aluminum Containers - Tin Containers;

* Cartons & Paper Cups - Plastic Containers;

* Styrofoam - Glass Containers.

RDNO says the world’s largest recycling commodity purchasers have been adding strict regulations to the materials that they accept from foreign countries in recent years. The market for recyclables has been significantly impacted by these policies.

The township had hoped to join Recycle B.C. communities for recycling collection but have not received a reply from the organization, said Fraser.

“They aren’t taking on any new communities right now from what we’ve heard,” said Fraser.



roger@vernonmorningstar.com

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Roger Knox

About the Author: Roger Knox

I am a journalist with more than 30 years of experience in the industry. I started my career in radio and have spent the last 21 years working with Black Press Media.
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