Silver Star waste disposal site to add staff, change operating hours

Changes are coming soon to waste disposal at the Silver Star Transfer Station.

Come August 1, the transfer station will have new operating hours. The currently unmanned site will also introduce staff to collect disposal fees, the Regional District of North Okanagan said Wednesday.

“One of the key benefits of these changes is that the less garbage you produce, the less you will pay,” said Amanda Shatzko, Electoral Area C director. “This way, people who produce less garbage are not subsidizing the higher producers of waste.”

The user-pay model replaces the fees that had previously been levied property taxes and utility bills for resort businesses and residents. The minimum fee is $6 for up to 150 pounds of garbage, prorated at $103 per tonne for loads over 150 pounds.

Customers will be required to pay disposal fees each time they drop off bagged residential and commercial garbage at the facility.

“We want to be clear that we do not charge by the bag, but by weight. Most residential homes will take a long time to generate 150lbs of garbage, so they may be interested in coordinating runs with their neighbours to share costs,” said Mike Fox, general manager of community services.

The proposed operating hours were announced in April and after receiving some concerns from the community, the RDNO provided another chance for input.

“Following the second round of public engagement, we were able to refine the operating hours to suit the community better,” Shatzko said. “We received lots of input, and I’m happy that we incorporated more feedback into the operational structure.

The RDNO says adding staff to the transfer station also solves the problem of having people drop off inappropriate materials such as hazardous waste and items that are too bulky for the garbage compactor. Disposal of these items won’t be permitted and customers will be informed of safe and appropriate disposal measures for these items.

Upgrades will made to ensure the facility meets the needs of transfer station customers, the RDNO said.