The RDNO Board of Directors has delayed the implementation of the food scraps ban for Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) organizations by six months to provide relief to North Okanagan businesses during this pandemic.
Diverting food scraps from landfills has many positive outcomes for our environment, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions and the generation of valuable resources, like compost, that can provide benefits for our local communities. There are also opportunities for organizations to rethink their operations and find opportunities for cost savings in reducing the waste they generate.
However, diverting food scraps is no small undertaking for organizations. The process involves getting staff involved at every level of the organization as well as investment in collection equipment and developing logistics for transporting or processing food scraps to be composted.
“While this is an important initiative to keep unnecessary waste out of our landfills, we acknowledge that businesses are facing complicated challenges from COVID-19. We hope this will be one less thing to worry about in the short term as we all adjust to the new normal,” said Kevin Acton, RDNO Chair.
Another factor that led to this decision is that outreach and engagement with the affected organizations and is not possible with the COVID-19 restrictions.
In addition to current delays for the ICI Food Scraps Disposal Ban Implementation, it is well understood that many organizations are facing immense challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to these concerns, a 6-month delay for the implementation plan and the expected initial enforcement period has been moved from July 1, 2021, to January 1, 2022.