Inspectors will be randomly checking recycling and yard-waste carts in Penticton this spring summer.
The city announced the program on Monday, saying it’s doing so to improve the community’s sorting skills.
“The goal of the recycle cart inspection program is to understand where residents require additional education about how to dispose of specific items,” said program spokesperson David Kassian.
“If we notice an item that doesn’t belong, we’ll leave a notice on your cart for educational purposes. The goal is to improve our community’s recycling skills and meet the RecycleBC targets to ensure we don’t face penalty fees in future years.”
According to the city, cart notices, should they be issued, will provide specific details about items that are not accepted for recycling.
“It does not mean your cart will be skipped for collection,” said the city.
Items not accepted for recycling include hard and soft-cover books, glass, clothing and soft plastics.
“Remember to place all recycling loosely into carts and ensure they are not contained in any bags or boxes,” added the city.
Further, the program aims to lower its recycling contamination rate to 6 per cent from 8 per cent by December.
Failing to do so, said the city, could lead to increased costs due to fines. It may also lead to a less convenient recycling service, such as sorting everything into separate bins or bags, which has been shown to reduce contamination in other B.C. communities.