It is important to not place dog waste, dog waste bags or any garbage into your yard waste collection cart. Placing these materials into the yard waste stream is not only hazardous and unsafe for workers, but it also means the yard waste cannot be made into clean compost.
Landfill staff identified a recent and steady increase in dog waste and dog waste bags in the yard waste collections. Dog waste and dog waste bags are not allowed in yard waste and should always be placed in the garbage. Yard waste includes only leaves, grass, prunings, sticks and branches. Garbage, lumber and plastic are not to be included.
Plastics that are labelled ‘biodegradable’ or ‘compostable’, including dog waste bags, are not accepted in yard waste collection. These terms are not regulated in Canada and may be confusing for consumers. These plastics are not allowed to be used for composting in BC and are to be placed in the garbage.
“Plastics, including items marked ‘biodegrable’ or ‘compostable’, create serious problems for composting,” explains David Kassian, Community Sustainability Coordinator. “It becomes contamination that limits the ability to produce healthy and nutritious compost.”
The City of Penticton and the Regional District of the Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) are asking residents to place dog waste and dog waste bags in the garbage. The RDOS can provide resources on techniques such as backyard ‘dog doo digesting’. The RDOS Solid Waste group can be reached at 250-490-4203, info@rdos.bc.ca or visit www.rdos.bc.ca.