The city has installed new recycling receptacles at both lakes to address the influx of cans and bottles that have been tossed since the drinking at beaches and public parks bylaw was extended to this summer.
Six new recycling receptacles have been installed at both Okanagan Lake Beach and Skaha Lake Park Beach in response to the responsible consumption in designated public places bylaw, the city said in a press release.
Parks supervisor Todd Whyte said the city hopes the bins will reduce the increase of recyclable waste and litter.
“We wanted to have a more permanent solution available to encourage recycling in our parks,” said Whyte.
Each unit has a dark blue bin for mixed recyclables and a light blue bin for returnables such as water bottles or cans.
The bins also have decals on them showcasing what can be recycled in each bin.
A QR code on the side of the bins can be used to alert the city when a bin is full.
Whyte said the city hopes to install more in the future across other parks and beaches.
People are able to consume alcohol in the designated public areas from noon until 8 p.m., the same restrictions as the previous summer.
Feedback from November, 2020’s staff report to council found that RCMP did not see additional strain on their resources, while bylaw did find waste to have increased individuals who did not pay attention to the deadline or were committing acts of public urination.
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