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Location, location
Our series on West Shore arts venues asks the question, where? Part 2 of 2, page A3
COMMUNITY: Family transportation alternatives mulled at forum today /A6 SPORTS: Girls getting a chance to play lacrosse together /A21
GOLDSTREAM
NEWS GAZETTE
Friday, February 20, 2015
FREE Estimates WOOD GAS PROPANE
106-2244 Sooke Rd., Victoria
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Learning to cut back on food waste Options are available for getting rid of kitchen scraps, but there’s some changes you can make on your own Mike Davies News Gazette staff
As of Jan. 1, West Shore residents had to find an alternative to their garbage can for their food scraps, due to a ban implemented on kitchen waste at the Hartland Landfill. Before this year, organic materials such as food waste and kitchen scraps made up approximately 30 per cent of the waste at Hartland Landfill, according to the Capital Regional District. In an attempt to extend the life of the landfill, as well as encourage the production of material such as compost and fertilizer, Hartland has been phasing out organic waste at the facility over the last three years, culminating with the full ban on Jan. 1. Alpine Disposal and Recycling, as one of the major waste haulers in the region, is excited about the new regulations, and has revamped its services in order to help the community abide by them. “Much of Victoria – Oak Bay, James Bay, View Royal, for example – have already been doing the program for a while now,” says Heather Baumann, office manager of the Alpine facility on Dunford Avenue in Langford. “But it wasn’t mandatory, so we were just picking up garbage, and going along our merry little way. But then the ban came into effect at the landfill, so then we’re in the middle as the hauler, and we’re going, ‘OK, we need to come up with a plan so that there are options out there for people.’”
Mike Davies/News Gazette staff
Heather Baumann of Alpine Group shows off some of the residential food waste recepticles they provide as part of their pickup service. The bins can also be purchased outright by residents not interested in curbside pickup. That plan was to create a diverse combination of offerings for people. That included providing curbside residential pickup in conjunction with what they already do in terms of garbage collection, to large bins for commercial facilities like restaurants and grocery stores, to drop-off at their Langford facility, incorpo-
Our rewards
are more uplifting.
Victoria: 2935 Bridge St., 250-386-8620 Esquimalt: 506 Esquimalt Rd., 250-384-8808 Colwood: 1746 Island Hwy, 250-478-5511 www.colbertcreative.com
rating education on other waste management practices like composting. “It’s not mandatory for them to sign up with us, but it’s mandatory for them to have some alternative for their kitchen-scrap waste,” Baumann says. “If they’re composting using back yard composters, great. If they’re garburating,
More rewarding.
great. But if they’re not doing any of that, it means it’s going in the garbage, right? We wanted to have options for our customers, because they can’t be doing that anymore.” And she says people are getting on board. PLeASe See: Various options, Page A17 ®™ Trademark of AIR MILES International Trading B.V. Used under licence by LoyaltyOne, Inc. and Craftsman Collision Ltd.
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