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Reducing food waste

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Living Here

Learning how to reduce and dispose of waste in a responsible way will help extend the life of our only local landfill. 

The RDCO has been exploring the possibility of a curbside residential food waste collection program using existing yard waste carts. This would mean food waste would be diverted from the landfill and sent for composting. See our public engagement results on curbside food waste collection. 

Reducing the amount of food waste we create is one of the best ways to help our environment. Wasting food means wasting the resources that went into making that food including:

  • Water and fertilizer used for growing the food. 
  • Fuel and electricity to harvest, transport and store the food.
  • Land cleared to produce food, destroying habitat.

Visit Love Food Hate Waste for tips, inspiration and other resources to help make every bite count.

 

Tips for households

Reducing food waste saves time and money. Here are some easy ideas to get you started:

  • Visit the Province of BC's Residential food waste prevention page for a toolkit, studies and other resources.
  • Shop smart - try meal planning and make a list so you only buy what you really need.
  • Take regular food inventory - check your fridge, freezer and pantry before you shop.
  • Search for recipes to learn what you can make with what you have on hand.
  • Store food with care:
    • Use the "first-in, first-out" method when restocking items.
    • Know your fridge - some foods store better in certain areas.
    • Freeze perishable food if you can't use it right away.
  • Serve smaller portions - you can always go back for seconds. 
  • Use up those leftovers - pack for lunch or transform into a new meal.

 

Tips for businesses

Help your business save time and money, protect the environment and improve local food security: 

  • Visit the Province of BC's Food waste prevention for businesses page for toolkits, diversion programs and other resources.
  • Visit BC Centre for Disease Control's Food Donation Guidelines page to learn how to safely donate food.
  • Food Mesh offers professional food recovery services to help businesses divert the maximum volume of unsalable food away from waste streams and onto the plates of people who need it. Contact them for information specific to our region. 

 

Additional resources

  • National Zero Waste Council
  • RDCO Curbside Food Waste Collection engagement
  • RDCO Feasibility Assessment of Food Waste Collection and Processing - 2022
  • RDCO Life Cycle Assessment of Organic Waste report - 2012
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Regional District of Central Okanagan

1450 KLO Road
Kelowna, BC, V1W 3Z4
Phone: 250-763-4918
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Open Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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The RDCO acknowledges our presence on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded tm̓xʷúlaʔxʷ (land) of the syilx / Okanagan people who have resided here since time immemorial. We recognize, honour, and respect the syilx / Okanagan lands upon which we live, work, and play.

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