North Okanagan considers food-waste program

North Okanagan residents could be getting an organic food-waste program.

The Regional District of North Okanagan will be consulting with businesses and municipalities to determine if there is enough interest to create a food-waste organics program for the area.

READ MORE: Starting Jan. 1, food scraps banned from garbage bins in Metro Vancouver

If there is demand, the regional district will issue a request for proposal for companies interested in collecting and processing food-waste organics.

“Diverting food waste from the garbage can be a big undertaking for residents, municipalities, and businesses, so we need to make sure the interest exists before implementing programs and regulations,” Kevin Acton, Regional District of North Okanagan chairperson, said in a news release.

READ MORE: City of Vancouver trying to divert more organic waste from the landfill

“Approximately 35 per cent of household waste is organic material that comes from your yard or kitchen, and while we have programs in place to process yard and garden waste in eco-friendly ways, we think it’s time to look into processing food waste as well.”

The regional district also plans to speak with community gardens to determine if organics drop bins at certain locations would be feasible.