RDOS waste audit takes out the trash at The Herald office
Never the kind of business to shy away from exposing the truth, no matter how smelly or dirty, The Herald opened its doors last week for a waste audit.
The exercise saw a contractor for the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen sort through the garbage and recycling produced by the staff here to determine how much was actually garbage and recycling.
As it turns out, just four per cent of our trash was true garbage, while 56 per cent was compostable products, like food scraps and paper towels. The rest was recyclable.
We fared better on the recycling portion: Only about 18 per cent of what we put out in the blue bins couldn’t actually be recycled.
Surprisingly, our scores were about average compared to the other 19 businesses and multi-family residential developments that also went through the program, according to auditor Andrea Mackintosh of Kelowna-based Green Step Solutions.
The audits have two purposes: collect baseline data to evaluate potential changes in the future and divert more recyclable material from local landfills to extend their lives.
Those twin missions trace back to goals stated in the RDOS solid waste management plan. The next phase of her work will be coming up with recommendations to the RDOS board for improvements.
That guidance will be based on the audits, plus results of an online survey that closes Thursday. The poll is meant to allow business owners and managers and residents of multi-family buildings — all of which contract privately for recycling collection — to express any concerns they may have.
The survey takes about 10 minutes, and one respondent will win either a dinner for two and one-night stay at Watermark Beach Resort in Osoyoos, or a $100 gift card for a business of his or her choice.
To have your say, visit www.recyclesurvey.ca.