Are you putting the right things in your recycling cart?

Central Okanagan Regional District will have folks back on the streets this fall checking to see if you are, as part of its ongoing education and cart inspection campaign.

Peter Rotheisler, manager of environmental services for the regional district, which oversees the recycling collection contract for all member municipalities in the Central Okanagan, says most residents are doing a good job following the rules for what香蕉视频直播檚 acceptable to put in the carts. But he says waste audits show there香蕉视频直播檚 still significant contamination going on in our recycling stream, and that香蕉视频直播檚 a problem.

香蕉视频直播淭hings like garden hoses, garbage, hazardous waste, electronics, scrap metals, textiles, even yard waste香蕉视频直播攊tems that have never been accepted in our recycling program are showing up and contaminating the recycling stream,香蕉视频直播� said Rotheisler.

香蕉视频直播淚f we don香蕉视频直播檛 reduce and eliminate these unacceptable products from our loads, we face financial penalties from our contractor Recycle BC.香蕉视频直播�

He said the regional system is close to 18 per cent contamination on average. Recycle BC dictates it needs to be three per cent or less.

香蕉视频直播淪o we need to do a better job, and that requires continuous education and monitoring.香蕉视频直播�

Rotheisler said the inspection teams will look through carts and if they find items that don香蕉视频直播檛 belong, they香蕉视频直播檒l leave a sticker telling you what went wrong. If you香蕉视频直播檙e doing a good job, they香蕉视频直播檒l leave you a 香蕉视频直播済ood-job香蕉视频直播� sticker.

In some cases, carts won香蕉视频直播檛 be picked up until the offending material is removed.

Here are some of the items inspectors will be looking for:

香蕉视频直播� Electronics, small appliances (depot only recyclable)

香蕉视频直播� Hazards such as syringes, propane tanks

香蕉视频直播� Garbage such as food waste, paper towels, Kleenex

香蕉视频直播� Textiles such as clothes, fabric, pillows

香蕉视频直播� Plastic Bags, Styrofoam, Glass (DEPOT ONLY recyclable)

香蕉视频直播� Soft plastics such as cling wrap, bubble wrap, chip and snack bags, zipper bags

香蕉视频直播� Bagged recyclables

香蕉视频直播� Non-packaging plastics such as toys, Tupperware type containers, laundry baskets

香蕉视频直播� Garden hoses, landscape edging, tarps

香蕉视频直播� Soft cover novels and hard cover books and textbooks

In the spring, the regional district mailed out more than 55,000 Be Cart Smart recycling flyers to homes in the Central Okanagan.

Each year, the regional district inspects more than 3,000 recycling carts and send an average of 3,500 letters directly to residents when its inspectors spot the wrong materials in recycling, garbage and yard waste carts.