Resident recycling toolkit

• Check your buildings' bins or recycling area for posters to identify what you can recycling in your building.
• Drop off clean and sorted recyclables such as glass, foam packaging, plastic bags, containers, paper, newspaper and cardboard at a depot near you.
• Check out Recycle BC's What Happens to My Recycling to learn more about where your recyclables end up.

Household hazardous wastes (HHW) can harm people, animals and the environment if not disposed of properly.  They often have symbols such as poisonous, corrosive or flammable.  Some common HHW include:

• Batteries, small appliances, light bulbs, electronics
• Paint 
• Pesticides, fertilizers
• Adhesives, sealants, caulking, fillers
• Cleaners, degreasers, furniture polishes, rust and lime removers
• Pool and hot tub chemicals
• Aerosols such as paint, bug repellant, insecticides

Ensure these items are dropped off at Kelowna Recycling aka Battery Doctors located at 1972 Windsor Road in Kelowna.

For more info on household hazardous wastes 

Storing your recycling

Apartment or condo living can mean having limited storage space.  Here are a few creative storage solutions to try:

• Reuse milk crates or stackable bins
• Create a recycling centre in a pantry
• Transform a drawer into a recycling centre
• Create a hidden recycling station under a bench

Visit Section 3 of the resident toolkit for more create storage solutions for small spaces.

Refuse, Reduce, Repurpose, Repair

Reduce, reuse, repair, refuse means creating less garbage or recycling in the first place.

• Refuse - don't take anything you need like straws, extra napkins, plastic cutlery, disposable cups
• Reduce - buy goods with less packaging or in bulk
• Repurpose - cut up old t-shirts for rags, reuse glass jars or plastic containers.
• Reuse - donate or sell good household items. Check out the RDCO's Trunk Sale
• Repair - mend clothes and textiles, fix small appliances or small wooden items.  Check out the RDCO's Repair Cafe

For more great waste reduction tips check out the Residential Recycling Toolkit.

Reduce your food waste

Reduce your food waste

• Eat what you buy.  Make a weekly mean plan and grocery list to help ensure you only buy what you need
• Store leftovers in clear containers at the front of the fridge

Compost

• Give worm composting a go or purchase a counter top food composter
• Drop off your food waste (or have it picked up).  The following small businesses accept food waste for drop off or may pickup
  • Chickpeace Zero Waste Refillery, Kelowna BC
  • FILL Kelowna's Refill Store, Kelowna BC
  • LC Compost, Lake Country, BC

For more tips on reducing food waste check out the Residential Recycling Toolkit. 

Engage your community

Once you have made strides in improving your own waste reduction efforts, why not engage your community to take things one step further?

• Start a depot recycling 'car pool' - neighbours share in the duty of taking items to the depot on a weekly or biweekly basis
• Work with your strata or property manager to help expend existing recycling options in your building
• Host a recycling information party.  A chance to get to know neighbours and educate building residents on how they can tackle their own waste

Check out the Residential Recycling Toolkit for more tips on how to engage your community.