The RDCK Waste Management Department

The RDCK'S Environmental Services Department encompasses both waste management and rural water systems.  The RDCK covers a large area with the waste services divided into three waste sub-regions.

Each waste sub-region reflects the needs of the local communities.  Waste management services include waste handling facilities, community recycling depots, materials recovery and public education.

The four landfills in the RDCK collect waste from nine transfer stations.

What is a Transfer Station?

Transfer Stations are facilities where residents can safely dispose of waste materials into bear-proof containers.  Staff is present during normal opening hours at all transfer stations to collect user fees and to assist residents with waste disposal inquiries.  Large trucks pick up the full containers and deliver the waste to the local landfills.

What is a Landfill?

Landfills, also known as sanitary landfills or resource recovery facilities, are areas where waste materials are seperated into various resources, including wood, metals, yard and garden debris, septic, recyclables and lastly, residual buried waste.

All RDCK landfills follow proper provincial regulations to ensure that surrounding environments are not impacted by landfill activity.  Landfills in areas with bear concerns are equipped with electronic fencing to protect bears from eating waste materials including plastic bags and rotten foods.  RDCK landfills carry out frequent ground-water testing to ensure that drinking water is safe in areas surrounding our landfills.

Landfill users are subject to user fees.  During normal opening hours staff are on duty to assist residents with waste disposal inquiries.

The sorting of waste allows the RDCK to actively work towards Zero Waste and recover most of our material resources.

Wood material and yard & gard debris are collected and chipped twice per year.  These piles are frequently turned to improve aeration and at some locations additional organics are added to accelerate the breakdown of materials to produce compost.  This new soil is used as final cover for landfill closures.

Metals are a valuable resource.  The RDCK hires a metal recovery company to crush the metals, after which, the same company transports the metals to their recycling plant.

Recycling

Recyclable materials can be dropped off at one of our 28 recycling depots.  All recycling depots accept paper products, tin & aluminum food and beverage containers, glass food and beverage containers, frosted #2 plastics (including milk jugs) and cardboard.  The depots in the central sub-region also accept rigid food grade mixed plastics such as #1, #2, #4, #5 and #7.  Beginning May 1, 2008, all recycling depots in the east sub-region will accept rigid food grade mixed plastics #1, #2, #4, and #5.

Propane cylinders, rechargeable batteries, alkaline batteries and auto batteries are accepted at RDCK waste handling facilities at no charge.

Tires are acepted at RDCK waste handling facilities but are subject to a user fee.

RDCK waste handling facilities do not accept liquid waste or hazardous materials.  For information on how to dispose of these materials call the Recycling Hotline of British Columbia at 1-800-667-4321 or visit the Product Care website at www.productcare.org.

Composting

Household waste is the remaining non-recoverable material that is buried at our landfills, but, is it really?  Our household waste can contain up to 40% recoverable organic material which can be composted into valuable nutrient rich compost.  The RDCK and the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary are working together towards building a centralized organic composting facility to collect and compost our household organic waste.

The goal of waste management is to educate people to produce less waste and to encourage healthier environments.   This can be achieved by following Zero Waste guidelines, think less waste.  Reducing, Reusing, Recycling, Recovering and Returning refundable materials all make waste reduction a success.

Attached Document

Solid Waste Management Plan (231.9 kB)

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