Food scrap ban delayed

The Regional District of North Okanagan has delayed implementation of a food scraps ban for commercial organizations.

The six-month delay is to provide some relief to North Okanagan businesses during this coronavirus pandemic, the regional district says.

Diverting food scraps from landfills can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and generate valuable compost, the RDNO says in a press release.

There are also opportunities for cost savings in reducing the waste institutions generate.

However, diverting food scraps is no small undertaking for many organizations. The process involves getting staff involved at every level as well as investment in collection equipment and logistics for transporting or processing the food scraps.

“While this is an important initiative to keep unnecessary waste out of our landfills, we acknowledge that businesses are facing complicated challenges from COVID-19. We hope this will be one less thing to worry about in the short term as we all adjust to the new normal,” said Kevin Acton, RDNO chair.

Inability for outreach during COVID-19 restrictions also led to the decision.

"It is well understood that many organizations are facing immense challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic," the RDNO said in pushing the expected initial enforcement period back to Jan. 1, 2022.