Curbside recycling collection will look a little different in the Central Okanagan starting next year.
Residents will soon receive two new curbside recycling boxes that will allow them to recycle flexible plastics and non-refundable glass bottles and jars beginning in May 2026.
It will be a pink box for flexible plastics, which includes chip bags, crinkly wrappers, zipper-lock pouches and bubble wrap. A new gray box will be for non-refundable glass bottles and jars.
“This new service will provide Central Okanagan residents with a more convenient way to recycle glass and flexible plastics that are currently only accepted at local depots,” Cynthia Coates, the Regional District of Central Okanagan’s (RDCO) supervisor of waste reduction, explained in a media release.
“By adding curbside collection of flexible plastics and non-refundable glass, we’re making it easier to recover these materials and take another meaningful step toward the region’s waste reduction goals.”
This expansion in services comes as part of the Central Okanagan’s transition to Recycle BC managing curbside recycling.
The RDCO says the collaboration with Recycle BC will not only enhance service, but also help avoid financial penalties for contamination that has been an issue in the past.
Despite the addition of these two new recycling boxes, no changes are coming for materials that are accepted in blue-lidded recycling carts meant for metal cans, plastic and paper containers, cardboard, paper and magazines.
Residents are reminded to keep items like books, scrap metal, hazardous waste, textiles and dirty recyclables out of curbside carts.