Altered solid waste pickup schedule going smoothly: City of Kamloops

KAMLOOPS — The City of Kamloops says a somewhat stilted waste pickup schedule through the holiday season presented few problems for local residents.

In a news release thanking residents for their cooperation, the city says its waste collection trucks tipped about 84,000 carts between Dec. 27, 2023, and Jan. 10, 2024.

Drivers only reported finding about 70 instances of excess material left beside those carts at curbside.

“We are hopeful that [the numbers mean residents] understood the collection schedule and managed any excess material appropriately, such as through dropping items off at recycling depots or holding onto material until the next collection day,” said Streets and Environmental Services Manager Glen Farrow.

From December through February, the city has moved to collecting organics on alternate weeks. Garbage and recycling are already picked up on alternating weeks. In addition, the holidays come with several statutory holidays when no waste was collected.

Farrow says the city believes residents are adapting well to curbside organics pickup, which was launched for the first time city-wide in 2023.

“Another way of interpreting the report numbers is that our new system is working as intended,” continued Farrow, “that garbage levels are reduced as residents use the organics cart for compostable items, and that residents continue to learn what can go into the recycling cart or to a recycling depot.”

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