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Central Okanagan scaling up what you can recycle

A person stacks recycling bins on a city street.
Someone stacking the new recycling bins coming to the Central Okanagan. SUBMITTED/Recycle BC

The days of throwing flexible plastics and certain materials in the trash in the Central Okanagan are over.

Recycle BC is the not-for-profit that does residential recycling in BC and it’s changing how it serves the Central Okanagan starting May 1, according to a press release issued, Feb. 3.

Residents in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country, Peachland and Electoral Areas East and West will be able to recycle flexible plastics and non-deposit glass bottles and jars.

“By expanding curbside recycling to include flexible plastics and non-deposit glass bottles and jars, we’re making it more convenient for Central Okanagan residents to recycle these materials and keep them out of landfills and nature,” Recycle BC’s executive director Sam Baker said in the release.

There will be two new boxes delivered to residents, a pink one and a grey one.

The grey box will be for non-deposit glass bottles and jars like pickle jars and condiment containers.

The pink box will be for flexible plastics like produce bags, zipper-lock bags, plastic packaging, bubble wrap, crinkly plastic like chip bags and overwrap for things like toilet paper.

The new boxes will be collected every two weeks on the same day as recycling bins with blue lids.

“We are excited for Recycle BC to manage recycling services for residents across the Central Okanagan,” solid waste supervisor for the Regional District of Central Okanagan Cynthia Coates said in the release.

“Adding flexible plastics and glass to curbside collection makes recycling more convenient and accessible for households while helping to improve waste reduction in the region and protect our environment.”

Municipalities and the Regional District of Central Okanagan have a service agreement with Recycle BC and the actual pickup is contracted out to Environmental 360 Solutions. The current term of the service agreement is set to expire on April 30, 2026, but the plan is for Recycle BC to continue with this new initiative.

Click here for the Recycle BC app.

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Jesse Tomas

Jesse Tomas is a reporter from Toronto who joined iNFOnews.ca in 2023. He graduated with a Bachelor in Journalism from Carleton University in 2022.

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