Please note corrected copy later in this backgrounder
Your trash – a few facts
Recently, the town of Oliver decided to participate in the so-called “cart system” for garbage, yard waste and recycling collection.
Contracts are being drawn up, equipment is being purchased and residents are preparing for next year’s introduction of a whole new approach to refuse collection. It seemed like a good opportunity to dig into a bag of questions surrounding trash.
How much does it cost?
You’ll notice a line on your local tax form for solid waste disposal. The amount is about $110 per household.
For about two bucks a week, the truck comes to your curbside and takes your garbage, yard waste and recycling to the landfill and recycling facility.
Besides the household levy, the town receives a grant from an organization called Recycle BC (more on them later). In 2016 the grant was $77,000 and it went directly toward the overall solid waste disposal budget.
Does the income cover the costs?
Yes. And considerably more.
In 2016 the town’s solid waste accounts ended up with a surplus of $49,500. All of which went directly into something called the Solid Waste Reserve fund.
The fund’s balance stands at $307,000. Theoretically, it is there for use by the town, at council’s discretion, for anything related to garbage, recycling and related stuff.
But in reality, according to town chief financial officer Devon Wannop, it’s a sizeable piggybank that council could decide to use for anything it thinks is appropriate.
Tell me about these carts
Starting next summer, households will be issued three large, wheeled containers. One is for garbage; one is for recycling; and one is for yard waste.
The cost of the carts is covered by the seven-year contract the town has with Waste Collections of Canada (WCC, formerly BFI Canada Inc.)
The essential feature of these carts is that they can be emptied into a garbage truck without being touched by an actual human. An automated arm picks them up, dumps them and returns them to the ground.
As is the case now, garbage will be collected every week and recycling and yard waste on alternating weeks.
In a recent vote, the town council was uncharacteristically divided on whether to adopt the cart program, with two voting against and three, including the mayor, in favour.
(Down the road in Osoyoos, their council decided against carts. Mayor Sue McKortoff said residents at a public meeting were against the idea and council followed their wishes.)
Are there cameras in the trucks?
Yes. The cart-enabled garbage trucks will be equipped with cameras to monitor the contents of all three types of carts as they are being dumped.
The idea is that any contamination will be visible to the driver on a monitor in the cab. The carts themselves will have embedded computer chips so that their addresses can be recorded.
The driver will be able to pass along the paper and picture record of the contamination, so that the offending residents can be notified that they are have been putting inappropriate stuff in one or more of the containers.
It’s actually a more efficient system than the current one, in which driver/collectors are mandated to inspect garbage and recycling bags for possible contamination.
What is contamination?
Basically, it’s anything that doesn’t belong where you’re trying to send it.
In garbage bags or carts, contamination is anything that will cause a short- or long-term danger. Old batteries, paint and paint cans, oil products, chemicals and other hazardous waste. And, of course, things that should be recycled are considered contamination in garbage.
In the recycling bags, anything that isn’t packaging is contamination. As well, soft plastic, particularly plastic shopping bags are a major contamination concern, mainly because they foul the machinery in the now highly mechanized recycling facilities.
For a full list of what can and cannot be recycled at the curb, visit www.oliver.ca/recycling
What is Recycle BC?
It’s a non-profit organization mandated in 2014 by the provincial government and responsible for residential packaging and printed paper recycling.
Recycle BC was formerly known as Multi-Material BC, and is in the middle of a rebranding effort.
The program is funded by levies on businesses that supply packaging and printed paper. It operates by providing funding to municipalities, regional districts, First Nations and other organizations.
The funding to local governments goes to support their recycling efforts. In 2016, Oliver received a grant of $77,000.
Across the province 156 communities participate in the Recycle BC program. Each year about 186 tonnes of material is collected from households and recycling depots.
Did I hear something about fines?
As part of its agreement with local governments, Recycle BC has a target of 3 per cent “contamination rate.” Few jurisdictions have achieved that rate. Oliver stands at about 6 per cent.
While it does have the power to levy fines for ongoing failure in the contamination rate, Recycle BC virtually never actually imposes them.
Managing director Allan Langdon says the organization by far prefers to work with municipalities to improve contamination rates through public education. Fines would only be considered if a municipality exhibits a rise in contamination rates and makes no reasonable effort to improve.
They didn’t pick up my blue bag
On occasion a homeowner may find that the driver has left his clear plastic recycling bag at the curb with a note attached explaining why.
In most cases it’s because the driver has seen something (that’s why the bags have to be clear) that is clearly contamination, like plastic grocery bags or glass bottles.
Cam Baughen, solid waste coordinator for the RDOS, said recently that leaving a bag at the curb with a note is “the most effective way to educate people.”
Of course there are alternative recycling opportunities for things that can’t be left in the blue bags or tossed in the landfill. The Oliver landfill has a large recycling area near the entrance and the local bottle depot will take small appliances and electronics.