In the parking lot behind an apartment building in south-central Kelowna, two men are dumpster diving.
But they’re not collecting cans for refunds, they are getting the dirt on data.
Garbage data that is — dirty data that will be used to perform a waste audit.
“We’re just separating the garbage,” Myles Hanna told Global News on Monday.
Hanna and his co-worker, Jakub Policht, are employees of GreenStep Solutions Inc.
GreenStep does corporate sustainability consulting, helping clients to reduce their impact on the environment.
“There is a bunch of cardboard in here,” Hanna tells Policht from inside the large green garbage dumpster.
“Any glass?” asked Policht.
“Nope, no glass. Not yet.” replied Hanna.
GreenStep has been brought in by the Regional District of Central Okanaganor RDCO to conduct waste audits at multi-family residential buildings.
Once Hanna and Policht sort out all the garbage and recycling, it’s weighed out.
“That way we can have a big picture of what the garbage is made up of,” Hanna explained.
All the data is then logged to be compiled into a audit report for the building’s management group.
“It points out areas that can be improved in their waste diversion program,” said Nicole Huard a GreenStep project manager.
“We’re trying to improve recycling practices a multifamily residential properties.”
The waste audits are all part of a relatively new sustainability initiative facilitated by the RDCO.
“For anyone who is interested having their building audited, they can get their property manager to reach out to me directly and we can set up an audit for their building,” Huard said.
And the best part is participating in the program is completely free.