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Rural businesses face RDCK recycling rollback

Industry, business and institutions may need to rethink their waste management
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The rules are changing for commercial recycling in rural areas of the West Kootenay. Photo: Nelson Star

Recycling opportunities for industries, businesses and institutions in the Regional District of Central Kootenay will be reduced starting this month.

Currently, this non-residential sector can bring recycling to any RDCK depot.

But starting this summer, RDCK depots will only accept flattened cardboard and no other materials.

And that cardboard will only be accepted at the Ootischenia, Crescent Valley, New Denver, Nakusp, Nelson (Lakeside) and Creston depots, and only during the designated open hours of those depots.

This change is a result of Recycle BC’s recent take-over from the RDCK of the hauling and processing of recycling.

Recycle BC is a provincial non-profit stewardship program responsible for residential packaging and printed paper. The organization does not handle recycling from industries, businesses or institutions.

How will this be enforced at the depots?

RDCK board member Garry Jackman told the Star that it will be an honour system, and that those depots will now be staffed. He said the staff will be on the look-out for material that is obviously not from households.

Rural small businesses may have trouble making arrangements for commercial pickup of non-cardboard recycling, and Jackman said the board negotiated hard to get Recycle BC to get rid of the distinction between household and business recycling because it is impractical in rural areas.

“This only makes sense for institutions, industry or big box outlets found in larger urban centres which is the model on which the program was based,” he said. “The RDCK and other regional districts are lobbying the province to address this gap.”

Related:

Tough recycling decision for RDCK coming up

RDCK recycling depots to join RecycleBC program



bill.metcalfe@nelsonstar.com

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Bill Metcalfe

About the Author: Bill Metcalfe

I have lived in Nelson since 1994 and worked as a reporter at the Nelson Star since 2015.
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