Castlegar’s curbside organics collection is scheduled to begin this summer.
Residents can expect to see communications and education roll out in July and an organics ambassador has been hired to assist in the transition.
By the end of July, residents should receive their new 120-litre carts. These new carts will be used for garbage and the larger 240-litre carts currently in use will be repurposed for organics collection.
The first curbside organics collection is scheduled for Aug. 21. Garbage and recycling will continue to be collected on alternating weeks, but organics will be collected every week.
The city’s organics will go to a composting facility run by the RDCK at the old landfill site in Salmo. A portion of the setup costs for organics collection is being funded through a $1.2 million grant the regional district received to set up collection in Castlegar and Creston.
Council has yet to decided what, if any, options will be available for residents that believe they will need to dispose of more than 120-litres of garbage every two weeks. But they will be examining several options including second carts or larger carts at their June 19 meeting.
At the same meeting, council will also be discussing the fate of the city’s free yard waste compost facility. Operating the facilty costs about $123,000 per year.
Options on the table include maintaining the facility status quo, receiving yard waste but chipping it and transporting it to landfill or closing the facility.
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betsy.kline@castlegarnews.com
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