
Photo via TNRD
Residents in Kamloops and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District now have year-round access to a household hazardous waste drop-off facility.
The free service – at 480 Okanagan Way in the Mount Paul Industrial Park – is a partnership between the City and the TNRD. They’re working with North-Wood Environmental Ltd., who were awarded a five-year contract in October last year.
“This is an exciting announcement to be able to offer this important service year-round,” Glen Farrow, the City’s Streets and Environmental Services Manager said, in a statement.
“This is a really positive step in the right direction to help keep more household hazardous waste out of the landfill, and to offer a convenient, dedicated location for drop-off,” added Adriana Mailloux, the TNRD’s Manager of Solid Waste & Recycling.
The new facility replaces the one-off events that were held once a year where people could drop off household hazardous waste. Drop-offs will be limited to one passenger vehicle per customer per day.
“We’re going to have a permanent facility rather than waiting and hoping that there’s going to be a household hazardous waste round-up in your community [because] in Ashcroft and Cache Creek, it would be in one or the other usually every other year,” TNRD Board Chair – and Ashcroft Mayor – Barbara Roden told Radio NL in October.
The facility is expected to cost around $200,000 a year, with the City and TNRD splitting the cost equally. Roden says it cost between $50,000 and $75,000 a year to operate three one-off household hazardous waste round-up days.
“If you look at the cost of a three-day program [between $50,000 and $75,000 a year] as opposed to the cost of something that’s going to be five days a week, 52 weeks a year, it’s absolutely much more cost-effective,” Roden added.
“Hopefully it meets the needs of people who are also trying to do the right thing, by making it a little bit easier.”
The household hazardous waste drop-off site is open to the public five days a week, Tuesday through Saturday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
People will also need to fill a declaration form at the time of drop-off that confirms that the material they’re disposing off is residential in nature.
Commercial Hazardous material may be disposed of for a fee though people will need to reach out to North-Wood Environmental Services to book an appointment in advance.
What Materials Are Accepted?
Items will be accepted free of charge and safely disposed of or recycled. Residential-source quantities of the following items from the garage, shed, or under the sink are accepted:
- adhesives, caulking, sealants
- cleaning products (e.g. all-purpose and household cleaners, degreasers, furniture polishes, rust and lime removers)
- compressed gas
- fire extinguishers
- flammable liquids
- diesel
- gasoline and gas/oil mixtures
- household paint, paint-related materials
- hot tub and pool chemicals
- known products in unmarked containers (e.g. paint in a container other than the original paint can)
- mercury-containing items
- pesticides, fertilizers
- propane canisters and tanks
- unknown products in unmarked/unlabelled containers
- used oil, filters, and antifreeze
What Materials Are Not Accepted?
The following items are currently not accepted:
- asbestos and asbestos-containing materials (these materials may be accepted at Mission Flats Landfill for a fee)
- agricultural pesticides, ammunition/explosives/flares, biomedical waste, radioactive materials, waste containing PCBs (call the BC Recycling Hotline at 1-800-667-4321)
- pharmaceuticals (these can be taken to a pharmacy)
- leaking or improperly sealed products
The Mission Flats Landfill in Kamloops also accepts certain household hazardous materials for free.
For more information, visit Kamloops.ca/HHW or TNRD.ca/HHW.