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A new composting service in Kelowna and Lake Country is providing a way for residents to get rid of their food scraps.

LC Compost based out of Lake Country has been running its little compost business since November, 2020, said co-owner Kristen Livingston.

The program costs $20 to register and residents will be provided with a bucket for their compost. Compost, which can contain everything except meats, cooking oils, bones and a few other items, is picked up weekly for a cost of $20 per month in Lake Country or $35 in Kelowna. It is then processed at a farm in Lake Country.

So far, they have 15 clients and buckets range in size from 11 to 18 litres. The compost is picked up on a scheduled day each week.

“The reason we do it once a week is because of smell. If people are living in a small apartment or townhouse, at least it’s getting changed over,” she said.

The Central Okanagan does not currently have a compost program in place, but does collect organic waste as part of the residual waste disposed to Glenmore Landfill with methane capture and recovery, according to the Regional District of Central Okanagan. Vernon and Kamloops are currently developing residential compost programs and Salmon Arm has had a residential compost program for years.

Spa Hills Compost, based out of Salmon Arm, provides the city with compost services. It’s also working with the City of Vernon to develop a compost pilot project for residential pickup.

Spa Hills Compost owner Josh Mitchell said they do provide some residential services in the Central Okanagan and would consider strata complexes, but mainly offer commercial services in the Interior which includes places like Okanagan College, UBC Okanagan, McDonald’s, Nature’s Fare, Walmart and more. Compost is transported to their processing plant in Salmon Arm. 

“But in the future, we want to start looking at residential,” he said.

For Livingston, the LC Compost pick up program was brought in since so many people moving from larger cities have been asking about residential pick up programs, she said.

Currently, other zero-waste stores in Kelowna, Chickpeace Zero Waste Refillery and Our Footprints Co. provide residents with a place to bring their compost.

However, Footprints is closing its Kelowna location at the end of the month due to financial hardships during COVID-19, among other reasons like the impact of construction work near its location on Lawrence and the lack of parking. Footprints will remain open in Kamloops and has a popular compost program there, said owner Jennifer Norman.

“We’re hoping to fill that void for people who don’t have a backyard or access to compost on their own,”  Livingston said.

For more information on LC Compost, visit the company’s website.

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