Beginning March 1 the cost of disposing of garbage and mixed demolition waste at Summerland Sanitary Landfill is scheduled to increase.
At an information session with Summerland council, the engineering and public works department brought forth a recommendation to consider increasing tipping fees from $55 per metric tonne to $65 per metric tonne.
The increase is intended to keep tipping fees consistent with other landfills within the region and to promote recycling which in turn extends the life of the landfill.
The increased tipping fees are meant to minimize landfill shopping, offset operational costs and create incentives to divert the amount of material that can be recycled away from the landfill.
Mixed demolition waste would also see an increase from $200 per metric tonne to $400 per metric tonne in an attempt to encourage source separation of recyclable materials that are mingled with loads.
Even with the increases in tipping fees, they are not as high as those in the North Okanagan, Columbia, Shuswap or Kootenay Boundary where tipping fees are between $70 and $85 per metric tonne. Local residents have demonstrated they have embraced recycling practices and with the added incentives it is felt that the practice will increase, says a news release from the engineering and public works department.
For more information about about the Summerland tipping fees contact the department at works@summerland.ca or 250-494-0431.
Summerland is not the only community raising the rates. The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen has proposed raising landfill refuse fees from the current $55 per metric tonne to $65 per metric tonne at the Campbell Mountain, Oliver, Okanagan Falls and Keremeos sanitary landfills.
Changes to the Landfill Tipping Fee bylaw will be presented at the March 1 RDOS board meeting.
Refuse fees are applied to materials that are buried in the landfill.
Any fees for reusable, recyclable or compostable materials brought to RDOS landfills are not affected by this rate change.