Curbside Collection - Electoral Area Residents

Hi there,

Eventually, any collected material from the proposed curbside services would be brought to the Central Composting Facility just outside Salmo. 

The environmental impact of using equipment as well as the transportation emissions and costs is less than the environmental impact of continuing to landfill organic waste, as well as failing to divert recyclable materials. Over 60% of what we currently send to landfill in the RDCK is preventable waste - and should be diverted. Curbside collection services increase diversion rates by making it easier for people to separate their recyclable and compostable materials. Organic waste diversion and composting prevents landfill methane gas generation, which is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada.

The compost produced will be make available to the public through bulk sales and distribution at our resource recovery facilities. The cost of the compost is yet to be determined, as is the potential discount made available to those who participate in residential green bin programs.

Thanks for the questions,

Hi there,

We have answered the question about how the service will be charged and opting out in previous questions, and on the FAQ pages for each service. Linking here the Area J FAQ. Area F&H FAQ. Questions 6 and 7 go into a bit more detail.

In regards to not wanting to transport bins down your driveway, that is totally fair. Our only thought is that the end of your driveway is likely closer than the transfer station, and the bins should be small enough to fit into cars, so perhaps there is a potential time savings and convenience factor if you can fit that into your routine. Maybe not though!

Ultimately, the results of the referendum on May 1st (advanced voting) and May 11th (general voting day) will decide if the service proceeds or not.

Thanks for the comment and question, 

Thanks for your question.
The exact bin size won't be known until we move into next steps, pending results of the referendum for the services. Generally though, we're expecting the garbage bins to be ~120L. This should be sufficient for 99% of households who are using the green bin properly, and also recycle. Bi-weekly collection of garbage in a 120L bin, combined with the other 2 streams of waste is the standard, and allows residents to effectively separate their waste and reduce what is landfilled. Green bin would be weekly collection, with recycling bi-weekly, alternating with garbage.

 In the event where you were to exceed the bin volume, you would need to either wait for your next collection day, or take a trip to the transfer station. 

Thanks,

Hi there,

Thanks for the question.
I will refer you to questions 6 and 7 on our FAQ document which go into this questions with a bit more detail.
That can be found at the link here. 

The short answer though is no, there would not be an option to opt-out if the service goes ahead.
Cheers, 

Hi there, thanks for the questions.

We have discussed the challenges of winter logistics extensively. This is not a new concept, and many communities throughout BC with long winters and lots of snow are able to provide rural waste collection services successfully. This is something that haulers, road maintenance workers, and the RDCK would coordinate to ensure services are safe, effective, and reliable.

Certainly, during major winter storms, there may be some disruption to services, as is the case with almost everything. Generally, though, since we are not looking at an automated collection system, bins should be placed 2-3 meters back from any public roads so that they are not impacted by plows and snow banks. 

Placing bins at the end of your driveway may require a little extra time to clear some space in winter. Everyone is going to have unique challenges and solutions to their specific situation and local topography. We trust that logistical challenges can be overcome with some creative thinking and an open mind to changing the way we manage our waste. Ultimately, the service will be decided by the public through a referendum. Make sure you are aware of the details for this, and vote!

Best,
RDCK Resource Recovery

Hi there,

Thanks for the question.

The cost for the service cannot exceed our current max cost estimate - roughly $280/year - between 2025 and 2029. Exactly how pricing is set if the service goes ahead may include annual increases - as long as the cost doesn't exceed the "maximum requisition amount".

For example, we may set the annual cost lower than the Max. Req. Amount in the first year, and then make small increases until we reach that value.
After 2029, the Local Government Act would permit the RDCK to increase the Max Req. Amount by up to 25%. At that time, the cost of the service would be reviewed, and an increase may occur to ensure that the service is cost neutral and not creating a large deficit. It's hard to predict what the future holds, hopefully inflation reduces and costs don't continue to go up for everything everywhere.

We'd work to keep costs as low as possible while still providing a good quality service. The RDCK seeks to achieve cost neutrality in the services it provides.

Best, 

Hi Catherine,

Thanks for the questions.
Anyone can self-haul to one of our four transfer stations that accept organic waste. Grohman Narrows, Ootischenia, Central (Salmo), and Creston are now all accepting separated organics during regular operating hours.
The cost is $2.50 for a container. You can bring any amount, but if you have more than 3 containers, you would charged the minimum fee of $9.75.

 We do have a pricing incentive where if you bring in containers of separated organics with your household garbage, you can dispose of 1 organics container for free. Container just have to be less that 121L.

As for cost comparison for that self-haul option to the cost of curbside waste collection, there are many factors. Our cost estimates include garbage and recycling collection, as well as things like education, staffing, hauling costs etc. so it's not really an apples to apples comparison. 

 
Ultimately, through the referendum, residents will decide if it's worth paying for the service, and if the benefits that a collection service might provide are worth the cost. Please ensure you participate in the referendum by voting either by mail, in advance voting (May 1st), or on May 11 - General Voting Day.

Best, 

RDCK Resource Recovery

Hi there,
Thanks for the great questions.

The existing recycling service in Area J will remain in place regardless of the outcome of the referendum for curbside services on garbage and food waste.

If the referendum passes, residents would continue to receive recycling collection free of charge - delivered through RecycleBC, with added collection of garbage every two weeks, and food waste weekly, administered by the RDCK, and paid for by residents.

The smaller service area (smaller number of households) compared to the Area F/H service is the primary reason the cost estimate is slightly higher for Area J (just $3.00 more or so). The total cost of the service is spread between households, so essentially, the larger the service area, the more cost effective the service becomes.

The cost estimates include significant grant funding for purchasing of bins and other up-front costs, so we believe this is a reasonable cost estimate that is of good value, especially compared to the cost of private, individual waste collection services. Ultimately, the majority of residents who vote in the referendum will decide if the service should go ahead.

Let us know if you have any other questions,
RDCK Resource Recovery

Hello! Thanks for the question.
No, only lots with residences are included in the service, and vacant lots would not be eligible. Therefore vacant lots would not be charged for collection services should they go ahead. 

Hi there,

Thanks for your questions.

For the finished compost, while none is available just yet, the plan is to sell it publicly, but also provide it as a donation and at a discount for food security initiatives, to partner municipalities, and to residents who have curbside services. The sale of compost is not expected to recover the costs of operating the composting facilities nor the collections service, therefore, some costs must come from the users of the system.

Backyard composting is great if done properly, and the RDCK fully supports residents in backyard composting. These services can augment that system by accepting things like meats, bones, fats, cooked food, grains, dairy and soiled paper – not typical items for backyard composters.

Bi-weekly garbage collection is the standard across most municipalities and regional districts in BC. With weekly collection of food wastes, most, if not all of the material that generates smell and makes storage of garbage difficult should be removed, therefore making it possible to keep waste indoors. Most rural properties likely have a shed of some sort, or at least the space to site one, and as residents are already managing their waste with wildlife in mind, this kind of system wouldn’t change the amount of waste created, just provide options for easier separation of wastes and recyclable/compostable items. With clean recycling, weekly food waste collection, and reduced garbage, these logistics can be met with some troubleshooting, and should services go ahead, the RDCK would provide residents with resources and information, including solutions for some of the challenges you raise.

Regarding wildlife, we’d like to refer you to other questions asking about this (bin types and locks), as well as more information on the project page, and the Organic Waste Diversion Program (support keeping smells down, storage ideas).

Some additional information regarding collection frequencies, and costs:

• A given collection vehicle can at most collect 2 streams of waste at a time. These types of vehicles are called split-packers. So one week, the truck would collection food waste and garbage, the next it would collection food waste and recycling.
• The cost is for all three streams of waste, and residents would not be able to opt out of one or the other. It would be an annual cost.  All household would be charged the same amount.
• Existing haulers and service providers would be encouraged to participate in a competitive procurement process, should services go ahead in a given area. Companies like GFL and Waste Management are large, national companies and are likely not at risk of going out of business from a change to local contracts. To support smaller, local haulers, the RDCK has provided a flexible service model proposal, which allows for operators without split-packers/large vehicles to be able to participate in the competitive bidding process.
• Recycling is actually sort of cost-neutral in the proposal, as RecycleBC, who currently provides curbside recycling free of charge to some residents in the Electoral Areas, provides partner organizations a “cost incentive” for administering curbside collection services. Residents who already receive this service would not be charged for this aspect of the service, and could potentially see an annual cost at less than what those who do not have recycling services might receive.

We apologize for the delayed response – these answers take some time, and with the Easter Holiday, staff were less available to provide responses. Thank you for your participation in this consultation.