The Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) wants to look through your recycling.
The RDCO is in the midst of a waste audit; hiring two inspectors to leaf through blue bins around the district to make sure residents are properly utilizing their recycling.
The inspectors are tasked with educating residents on what does and doesn’t go in the bins.
Cynthia Coates, who works in waste reduction for the district, said the program’s personal touch has helped the RDCO shine a light on the difference between garbage and recycling.
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“We’re doing an educational boots-on-the-ground kind of program,” Coates said. “This is really effective because we’re right at the home. Quite often a resident will come out and we can even talk one-on-one.”
The two inspectors look through the bins and then leave notes for the owner on what they were trying to recycle that they shouldn’t have.
The inspectors have found some unusual things.
“We are seeing some things that surprised us, like used paper towels and napkins.”
They also leave a brochure to educate residents on what items they can recycle that they might not have known about, like aerosol cans, coffee cups, frozen food packaging, tin cans, and ice cream cartons.
The RDCO says the three most common things they’re seeing in the bins that don’t belong there are glass, styrofoam, and plastic bags; all items that actually can be recycled, but that need to be brought to the depot individually.
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