Strata councils will soon need to make a decision as to how their organic waste is collected.
The City of Richmond will be approaching stratas of multi-family residences, such as apartments and condos, to determine if they require organics collection.
According to a Metro Vancouver bylaw, passed Jan. 1, all organic material must be separated from the garbage. Come July 1, waste collectors will begin penalizing all non-compliant residents (living in homes and condos).
Unless a strata shows it has a composting system or is being serviced by its own collector, the city will offer collection once or twice a week. The city will supply a large, lined container to be stored in the strata’s common garbage room and clean it once a month.
The city will also provide each unit with a small kitchen container. Once a resident’s container is full he or she deposits the materials (the likes of food scraps, potted plants, small bits of paper) into the large common container.
This $1 million program will cost homeowners $30 per year for weekly service or $55 for twice weekly service.
This is all in an effort to divert 70 per cent of all waste from landfills by this year.
A pilot program in 2014 showed that condo residents in Richmond had only achieved a 50 per cent diversion rate.
Organic diversion also helps with garbage incineration, also a goal for Metro Vancouver.
City staff will work on adjustments with stratas during the initial stages of implementation, which will cost the city $700,000.
The changes will affect 44 per cent of Richmond residents, as 56 per cent (those in homes and some multi-family units) have already been recycling their organics.
The city is also offering stratas the optional opportunity to concurrently join its waste collection program via collector Sierra Waste.
