The Central Okanagan Regional District's summer recycling ambassadors program will return to the district this summer to reduce contamination and educate the public about what's curbside recyclable and what isn't.
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May 16, 2019 - 7:00 AM
PENTICTON - The Central Okanagan Regional District’s recycling Ambassadors are hitting the streets this summer to ensure residential recycling stays on track.
Solid Waste Manager Jodie Foster says the Recycling Ambassadors Summer Student Program will be reaching out to residents through curbside cart checks and at community events to provide audits and education about recycling in the Central Okanagan.
“We understand that sorting waste and recycling can sometimes be confusing. Most residents are doing a pretty good job including only what’s acceptable to put in the carts. But recycling audits show there is still a significant number of unacceptable items going into our recycling stream, and that’s a big problem,” she says.
The district could receive penalties if the unacceptable items continue to contaminate recyclables, which is close to an 8 per cent contamination rate now.
The ambassadors will be looking for such things as garbage in recyclables including garden hoses, landscape edging, tarps, paper towels and tissues, and non-packaging plastics such as toys, tupperware-type containers, and laundry baskets.
They will also be checking to ensure recyclable items not included in cart pickup are not in the recyclable containers. This would include such things as plastic bags, styrofoam, glass, soft plastics, electronics, textiles and soft and hard cover novels and textbooks.
To find out more about what to recycle and how, visit: regional district.com/recycle
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