Plans for curbside food waste collection in Kelowna, B.C., have been put on hold — for now.
City council decided not to move forward with the proposal, which would have allowed single-family homes to add food scraps to their existing yard waste bins. The organic material would then be separated at a transfer station that still needs to be built.
“We recognize that there is a need for such a program,” said Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas. “It was just the way that it was packaged and delivered at this time that wasn’t appropriate for council.”
Concerns raised by council included unclear costs, potential odour issues from the new facility, and the plan’s limited scope. Dyas pointed out that the proposal focused only on single-family homes, leaving out multi-family residences.
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Only one councilor, Gord Lovegrove, supported the program, citing its environmental benefits.
“Food waste makes up about 25 per cent of what we send to the landfill,” said Lovegrove. “By separating it out, we’re cutting a big chunk of our waste stream and extending the landfill’s life — even if only by a few years.”
The Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO), which is spearheading the initiative, estimated the cost would be around $63 per household per year with full participation across the region. Without Kelowna, that number is expected to climb significantly.
“That removes about 40,000 service residents from the program,” said Travis Kendel with the RDCO. “We don’t have an exact number, but we expect it to be beyond $150 per household per year.”
The RDCO is now seeking feedback from other local governments and will be meeting with councils in Peachland and West Kelowna to gauge interest.
Kelowna’s mayor and council plan to revisit the food waste program in 2030, hoping for a solution that better fits the city’s needs — especially as other municipalities have seen success with similar programs.
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