REGIONAL DISTRICT OF KOOTENAY BOUNDARY - submitted
The successful Grand Forks kitchen scraps compost curbside collection program will soon expand to include nearby rural residents and become the first rural area in B.C. to receive this type of waste collection service.
On Feb. 27, the Board of Directors of the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary gave approval to the concept of expanding garbage and green bin collection service to include all Area D (rural Grand Forks) residents who presently receive the curbside blue bag recycling collection service.
Acting Area D Director Roly Russell says that the decision to expand green bin collection to rural residents was an easy one, “Economically, environmentally and socially this is a win for residents on all three bottom lines.”
An implementation plan has not been finalized at this point says Solid Waste Program Coordinator Tim Dueck but residents can expect the service to start around October 1, 2014. “Area D residents who now receive bi-weekly blue bag service will get the same weekly green bin and bi-weekly garbage collection service that city residents receive.”
The collected organic material will be brought to the Grand Forks landfill where it will be composted with other yard and garden waste. In 2013 the RDKB landfill in Grand Forks composted a total of 2600 tonnes of organic material – 232 tonnes of which was from city resident’s curbside green bin program.
“The kitchen scraps collection service is a hugely successful diversion program in Grand Forks,” says Dueck. “In 2013 we collected more by weight, of organic material in the green bins than we picked up in garbage cans. Kitchen scraps are a welcome nitrogen component for our present yard and garden waste composting program.”
Director Russell thinks that rural residents will embrace this program, “Even rural residents who already have a vigorous composting program will benefit from this program that targets stuff that people don’t normally compost in their backyards like diapers, kitty litter, dog poo, meat/dairy scraps and tissue paper.”
For more information on the RDKB’s Green Bin Program visit www.rdkb.com or ‘like’ us on Facebook: kNOw Waste – RDKB