Recycling possible for downtown core

By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: July 11, 2008

Recycling could eventually be in the bag for downtown Vernon merchants. The North Okanagan Regional District decided Wednesday to issue a request for proposals for firms to collect blue bag recycling from downtown businesses. “I hope it will work for the majority of merchants but there will be some exceptions,” said Pat Cochrane, a director who also owns a business in downtown Vernon. “A lot of recyclable material is currently going into dumpsters.” NORD is moving towards recycling downtown after the City of Vernon decided to remove garbage dumpsters from public alleys starting this fall. “A request for proposals process will help determine who is interested in providing the services required, including daily bag or toter service, and what the costs per business might be,” said Nicole Kohnert, environmental services manager, in a written report to the NORD board. “With respect to processing of the material, there may be some synergies to take advantage of alongside the residential blue bag program.”

Presently, downtown merchants individually decide how to handle their recycling. Director Juliette Cunningham, who owns a business downtown, hopes a curbside recycling program, will lead to less waste going into the landfill. “The recycling piece is important because a lot of businesses don’t take care of their recycling,” she said. The City of Vernon has given three readings to a bylaw that would remove dumpsters from public alleys, and ratification is expected some time this summer. Cunningham, who also sits on city council, admits there are still some unanswered questions. “I am still curious about the costs (of daily garbage collection),” she said. “I reduce my garbage and I don’t want to pay the same as someone with heavy-duty garbage.”The city and the Downtown Vernon Association hope that the removal of dumpsters will improve the cleanliness of alleys as well as addressing safety and security issues.