The Thompson-Nicola Regional District board has voted to end free disposal day going forward.
Director of environmental services Jake Devlin says part of the reason is it costs about $80,000 per year to hold the one-day event each year.
“Currently, we’re looking at $50,000 dollars in tipping fees annually, and another $30,000 dollars in costs for promotions, ads, hauling and staff time, traffic control and clean up,” he says.
“What’s happening is we’re inviting the public to essentially bring in anything and everything. It’s an incentive to not recycle, so we’re getting a lot of material mixed together.
“Also, what’s happening is with the city ending its free dump day, we’re going to be getting a lot of City of Kamloops residents coming out to eco-depots in proximity to the city. So Heffley Creek, Pritchard, Knutsford and Black Pines.”
Devlin says compared to normal days at the dump, free disposal days see four-to-five-times more people, and nine times more material is dropped off.
“At a lot of the sites, we’re getting a ton of traffic on free dump days, and it’s creating a concern for staff and the public to deal with the traffic influx. The final concern we have is environmental. When these events are happening, there’s such an influx of people coming into the sites that it’s really difficult for staff to exercise their normal level of monitoring and communication.”
Board members voted 17-9 to cancel the annual event. Free disposal day started in 2011 at 12 facilities, and since then had been expanded to include all 26 in the regional district.
But going forward, people can drop off mattress or tires with rims for free, at most TNRD dump facilities. Director Ward Stamer says those are among the most commonly-dumped items at local eco-depots and transfer stations.
Director Rod Crowe voiced concern about the potential for increased dumping in the bush with free dump days being cancelled. The TNRD board did also vote to continue its community clean up and illegal dumping monitoring programs going forward.
Editor’s Note: This story previously said the TNRD board waived fees for disposing tires without rims. However, the TNRD has actually waived a fee for disposing tires with rims. Tires without rims have been free to dispose of for years in the TNRD. This has now been collected.
