CSRD proceeding with a food waste-diversion program. Wanna give it a go?

The CSRD is moving forward with a food waste-diversion trial program at its refuse disposal facilities throughout the Shuswap and Revelstoke areas.

“Food waste accounts for 30% of all material received at landfills in our regional district,” Ben Van Nostrand, the CSRD’s team leader of Environmental Health Services, said in a statement issued on Friday, April 15. “Removing food waste from the garbage not only saves landfill space, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions and can be turned into valuable compost used to enhance farm land.”

Residents interested in separating their food waste and taking part in the free trial program need to submit an application to the CSRD. Program participants will be issued a free kitchen catcher for collection of their household food waste and a key to access the food waste collection bins located at CSRD transfer stations. Educational material will be distributed as part of the trial program. A $20 refundable key deposit is required and will be reimbursed when the key is returned to the CSRD after the program concludes. All the food waste collected will be hauled, processed and used by Spa Hills Farm for compost.

If you are interested in participating in the food waste diversion trial program, the application form can be found online at www.csrd.bc.ca/foodwastetrial.

In February, the CSRD Board of Directors approved funding from the Electoral Area Community Works Fund to test a food waste diversion program for a 30-week trial period. Results of the trial program will be used to determine if a permanent program is warranted. The trial program is one component of the CSRD’s Organics Diversion Strategy which outlines the steps the CSRD plans to take in order to reduce the amount of food waste being landfilled.