The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) has hired GreenStep Solutions to undertake a business education campaign focused on small and medium businesses and multi-family units.

The RDOS and neighbouring communities have conducted audits on waste collected from businesses and multi-family units that use front end bins. Many of these front end waste bins contain cardboard, paper, yard waste, and other recyclables. Whereas residential waste has become better as people recycle more, businesses and multi-families continue to throw lots of recyclable materials in the garbage.

GreenStep Solutions will be reaching out to businesses across the RDOS to discuss potential barriers to recycling. Recycling barriers may include the cost of recycling services, lack of education, or space issues for extra recycling bins. They will be offering free waste audits to find out what materials are ending up in the garbage. After this consultation GreenStep Solutions will bring forward potential programs or strategies to reduce waste.

GreenStep Solutions will also be looking at options for businesses and multi-family units to divert organics from the landfill. The RDOS is potentially building a compost site that would be able to handle food scraps and other organic waste.

Andrea Mackintosh is a Project Manager with GreenStep Solutions. She will be reaching out to business and multi-family associations this March.

“We are looking forward to helping businesses and multi-family residences in the RDOS to better understand and benefit from increased recycling and other waste diversion opportunities. We love getting our hands dirty! If you know of a business or multi-family residence that would be a good candidate for a waste audit, please have them contact us.”

For more information on the Business Education Program, contact the RDOS Public Works Department at 250-490-4129, [email protected] or visit www.rdos.bc.ca.

For more information about the waste audits contact GreenStep Solutions Inc at 250-862-8941 ext. 106, [email protected].