Fall back into better recycling habits

As the leaves turn begin to turn, fall is the perfect time to renew and refresh your recycling routine. The Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) is calling on residents to clean up their curbside recycling because a little effort goes a long way in keeping our communities clean and green.

Since 2023, member municipalities in the Central Okanagan have been charged penalties totalling $100,000 due to high contamination rates in recycling carts. According to recent audits by Recycle BC, contamination rates are trending downward, however the RDCO still urges residents to continue their best recycling efforts and commit to collecting and sorting recyclable materials, for depot only or curbside cart items.

“Most residents try to do the right thing, but we still see common mistakes that contaminate recycling carts,” says Cynthia Coates, RDCO Supervisor of Solid Waste. “Items like books, clothing, electronics, and hazardous waste – especially batteries – still appear in curbside carts. These materials contaminate recycling loads, lower recovery rates and can lead to costly penalties, or worse, cause fires or explosions. We all have a role to play in protecting the integrity of our recycling system”.

• Know before you throw: visit the RDCO recycling page to ensure only clean and accepted items go into your curbside cart.

• Keep contaminants out: avoid adding flexible plastics, books, textiles, furnace filters and garbage to your recycling cart. Always take hazardous waste such as electronics and batteries to a depot for recycling, never discard these items in a cart.

• Depot-only items: take non-deposit glass, foam packaging and flexible plastics to a recycling depot—never place them in your cart.

RDCO Waste Ambassadors inspected more than 9,000 recycling carts in 2024, which helped to identify cart contamination and raise awareness about accepted items. Enforcement measures are also in place: carts with repeated contamination will not be emptied during collection until contamination ends.

Visit rdco.com/recycle, download the free RecycleCoach app, or pick up a recycling decal at your local municipal office. You can also call the Regional Waste Reduction Office at 250-469-6250 or email recycle@rdco.com for more information about what goes where.

Let’s work together to keep our recycling contaminant free and our communities green.