The Regional Waste Reduction Office has a number of programs throughout the year to promote less waste and a cleaner region.
| Book Recycling Pilot Program |
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The Regional Waste Reduction Office has launched a three-month pilot project to help Central Okanagan residents recycle their old books. The goal is to prevent books from getting tossed into recycling carts. Two ways to dispose of old books1. Is the book damaged or outdated (older than 5 years)? Drop off for recycling at one of these locations:
2. Is the book gently used? DONATE or SELL it:
What kinds of books are considered 'outdated' and should be recycled rather than donated?
What happens to the books dropped off for recycling?Books dropped off at designated collection bins will be picked up by Planet Earth Recycling and transported back to their depot in West Kelowna. All books will get a final sort through and good books will be removed and resold. The rest will have the bindings cut off and the paper recycled.
For more information on the three-month pilot please email the Waste Reduction Office or call 250-469-6250 |
| Community clean-up |
April is Community Clean-up MonthEach April for Community Clean up month, the RDCO encourages you to get involved by doing some light spring cleaning in your own neighbourhood. The Regional Waste Reduction Office will support your cleanup by providing gloves, bags and picking up litter filled bags when you are done. Here's how it works:
To register a Community Clean-Up event, simply email the Regional Waste Reduction Office or call at 250-469-6250. See how it's done
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| Create memories, not garbage |
Gift giving and holiday memoriesCelebrate the spirit of the season by creating memories rather than garbage. Spend some time with family or friends, bake a cake or make other handmade goodies to drop on a friends doorstep, send a homemade card with a letter inside, take a walk around the neighbourhood to see the decorated homes, purchase long lasting gifts from a local shop offering curbside pickup. Here are a few tips to help you reduce waste this year:Give gifts that last such as a game, camping gear, family portrait, DIY kits or cast iron cookware. For a full list of great gift giving, creative wrapping tips and create your own custom coupon for that unique experience gift visit Metro Vancouver’s Website * Create memories, not garbage concept and creative courtesy of Metro VancouverVideosAdditional information:
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| Christmas tree chipping |
Chip it, don't chuck it!If you have a real Christmas tree, DON'T CHUCK IT, CHIP IT! Simply remove all tinsel, decorations and bags used for transporting the tree, and drop it off for free chipping from December 26 through January 31at these convenient locations. Kelowna LocationsGlenmore Landfill 2710 John Hindle Drive, Kelowna Open Monday to Sunday: 7:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Closed December 25, 26 and January 1 Accepts 3 trees per vehicle Free, load must be tarped Trees mixed with other yard waste are subject to fees
Ben Lee Park (in parking lot at Houghton Road, Kelowna)
NEW for 2023/2024 Cook Road Boat Launch Cook Road, Kelowna (at Cook Road and Lakeshore Drive)
West Kelowna LocationWestside Residential Waste Disposal and Recycling Centre 2640 Asquith Road, West Kelowna Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 7:30 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. Closed December 25 and January 1
Lake Country LocationJack Seaton Park parking lot 1950 Camp Road, Lake Country |
| Household hazardous waste disposal |
What is household hazardous waste?Left over products that contain corrosive, toxic, flammable or reactive components are considered household hazardous wastes (HHW), Look for these symbols to help you identify which products are hazardous. Download Guide to Household Hazardous Waste for information on what is accepted and fees that may apply Examples of common household hazardous waste products
Where to dispose of household hazardous waste?Kelowna Recycling aka Battery Doctors (please note some fees may apply)
Other hazardous wastes such as electronics, batteries, light bulbs, thermostats and smoke detectors can also be dropped of at various depots. You can search our Recycle Coach App, call the Recycling Council of BC recycling hotline at 1-800-667-4321 for specific items or search www.rcbc.ca/recyclepedia Tips for transporting household hazardous wasteHousehold hazardous waste requires special handling and disposal. Our health and environment are at risk. It is important that each of us is responsible for the products we use.
More information |
| Trunk sale |
FINAL Trunk SaleThe Final RDCO hosted Trunk Sale was held on Saturday September 24, 2022. Why was this the last Trunk Sale?When the RDCO first started hosting Trunk Sales in 2011, the concept was new to our region and we modeled it after Boot Sales in Britain. Now, the model has caught on and many local groups and organizations are hosting trunk sales of their own. After 18 events, it is now time for us to step aside, divert our focus to alternate waste reduction initiatives and let the community host Trunk Sales going forward. Special thanks!!The Okanagan Mission Lions Club and Okanagan College, who have partnered with us since 2011, have been instrumental in the success of this event over the years. For that we are grateful and thank them very much. We would also like to thank the following organizations who participated in the event over the years as well:
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| Repair café |
No events in 2023. Future events to be determined.What is a Repair café?Repair Cafés are free meeting places and they’re all about repairing things (together). At the Repair Café you will find all the tools and materials required to help you make many repairs you need. Volunteer specialists will be on hand to help and guide the repairs. You can enjoy a cup of tea or coffee or even lend a hand with someone else’s repair job. The Repair Café concept was formulated in 2009 by Amsterdam-based journalist/publicist Martine Postma and sustainability guru Peter van Vliet, in Groningen, the Netherlands. Their idea was to set up low-key meeting places nationwide where neighbours could repair their broken items themselves supported by specialist in a relaxed atmosphere. Visit www.repaircafe.org for more info. Why do we need Repair cafés?Repairing an item saves money, landfill space, saves resources and makes people appreciate their possessions more. Repairing is also fun and often very easy. Western society revolves around consumption. We increasingly buy more things, throw away more than ever and use our items for shorter times. As soon as these items show the slightest defects, we throw them away and buy new. Repair Café teaches people to see their possessions in a new light. Goals of the Repair café
What kinds of things will be repaired?Past events have had volunteer specialists to help you repair:
The Okanagan Regional Library has also been on hand to show you how to get information on fixing your own items throughout the year Call for volunteersOur volunteer fixers are the backbone of the program. Without them, it wouldn't be possible and we thank them for their time, expertise and willingness to help others! If you would like to volunteer for future events please email us or call 250-469-6250 Next Repair Café eventWhen: To Be Determined Where: Okanagan College, 1000 KLO Road in the Trades Building (free parking that day) One repair item per person Other resources
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| Paper free home |
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Going paper free means reducing the amount of paper coming into your household in the first place Why go paper free?
Easy steps to go paper free
Other paper reduction tips
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