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Spring clean-up in the CSRD is easier than ever

Yard, metal and hazardous waste are all part of new initiatives
11547046_web1_CSRD-Recycling
The Salmon Arm and Revelstoke landfill sites have added Saturday hazardous waste collection where residents can bring their toxic, flammable and corrosive materials for free, safe disposal.

Spring cleaning in the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) is now a whole lot easier.

In addition to the free, year-round collection of yard, garden, and metal material at all CSRD landfills and transfer stations announced earlier this spring, hazardous waste is also now accepted for free, on Saturdays during regular business hours at the Salmon Arm and Revelstoke landfills.

Yard and Garden Waste: In past years, the CSRD had offered free disposal of yard, garden and metal waste for six weeks in the spring and fall. Now, vegetative matter from gardening and landscaping, including shrub and tree branches less than 20 cm in diameter, are accepted for free at any CSRD refuse disposal site year-round. Free yard and garden waste does not include “Land Clearing Waste” or “Invasive Species”.

Materials will be ground up and used to make compost, to be distributed back to area communities. In addition to providing a valuable resource for local communities, the initiative also aims to prevent yard waste from being illegally dumped where it can create a fuel source and increase fire hazards, explains says CSRD Waste Reduction Facilitator Carmen Fennell.

Metal and Appliances: Metal is also now accepted year-round, with the collected metal baled and transported for recycling by service providers. The additional fee previously charged for the removal of refrigerant from appliances has also been removed, meaning the safe recycling of refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners is also now free!

Hazardous Waste: The Salmon Arm and Revelstoke landfill sites have also added Saturday hazardous waste collection where residents can bring all their toxic, flammable and corrosive materials for free, safe disposal, Fennell says.

The move replaces the community hazardous waste collection that took place every two years and was called for by residents in 2014 Solid Waste Management Plan review. Recognizing that not everyone was willing to hold on to items until the next collection, a permanent option will help prevent potentially dangerous materials from being dumped or poured down the drain, Fennell notes.

“It’s everything from an old bottle of hair dye in the back of the cupboard to an unknown container in the back shed. We don’t want to see these kinds of things disposed of down the drain, or hidden in the garbage,” Fennell says. “It would be helpful to us if you knew what the waste was, but if you don’t, it’s not a problem. We just want to ensure it’s disposed of properly,” Fennell says.

What CAN’T be accepted: Ammunition, explosives, flares, bio-medical, commercial/industrial waste and pharmaceuticals are not accepted at the hazardous waste collection and must be disposed of through the correct channels.

For more information please contact Carmen Fennell, Waste Reduction Facilitator at 250-833-5936 or visit the CSRD website at www.csrd.bc.ca.