Increasing monitoring may have people looking twice before throwing their garbage into the Glenmore Landfill in the Central Okanagan.
Users who throw banned materials, such as yard waste, cardboard, plastic, paper products, electronic waste and metal, may face$150 fines or increased tipping fees.
Landfill staff will be checking random loads of garbage from waste hauling companies, businesses, institutions and multi-family complexes to ensure users comply with the rules.
“A lot of the material that is buried at the landfill is material that has been banned for quite some time,” said Rae Stewart, waste reduction facilitator for the Regional District.
Starting July 1, rules will be expanded to include items as such as lamps, bulbs, light fixtures, IT and telecom equipment, medical monitoring and treatment devices, video game systems and accessories, power tools, sewing machines, exercise equipment and hobby devices. Those items are now considered recyclables.
“This is redefining what garbage is. That is basically what is going on here. It used to be garbage. We would throw it away and not think about it again. Now it’s a resource with value,” said Ken Muller, solid waste supervisor.
A comprehensive waste composition study at the landfill conducted in 2010 showed that 50% of garbage originating from local businesses and multi-family developments could be diverted into existing recycling programs.
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