The Lecour family had gotten used to having a garburator in their kitchen sink for disposing of food scraps and other organic waste.
After moving into a new home in Colwood a couple of years ago, however B次元官网网址� this one without the device B次元官网网址� their garbage production went way up. With a new ban placed on kitchen scraps and organic material at the Hartland Landfill coming into effect as of Jan. 1 of this year, they needed to re-adjust, just as everyone else was being forced to.
Adrienne Lecour signed up Jan. 2 for curb-side pick-up of her familyB次元官网网址檚 organics and is happy to have done so.
B次元官网网址淚t turned out to be a really simple transition,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淚 just keep my counter bin beside the sink and scrape plates into it before they go into the dishwasher, the same way I used to when we had a garburator.B次元官网网址�
She has seen a noticeable, even drastic, decrease in the amount of garbage the family produces, anywhere from a half-bag to a full bag per week, B次元官网网址渄epending on whether we clean out the fridge or not,B次元官网网址� she says, laughing.
Lecour adds that the convenience of having the curbside pick-up be the same day of the week as regular garbage collection, and the minimal cost associated with the service, makes it easier for people to adapt, as well.
B次元官网网址淚 havenB次元官网网址檛 heard anything negative from anyone,B次元官网网址� she says of the adjustment to separating organics out of the regular garbage. B次元官网网址淚 think people, in general, are realizing that this is long overdue and theyB次元官网网址檒l put up with the small inconvenience of it, because itB次元官网网址檚 what needs to happen.B次元官网网址�
Jolene Woodcock of Langford agrees with that sentiment. She grew up in a household that composted in their yard and she has carried that tradition with her into adulthood. Now that there is a curbside pickup option available, however, sheB次元官网网址檚 taking full advantage of that service instead of continuing the backyard practice.
She didnB次元官网网址檛 compost for gardening purposes, and because keeping their familyB次元官网网址檚 food waste out of the landfill is important to her, sheB次元官网网址檚 happier to have a different option.
Because they already did some level of separation of their garbage B次元官网网址� meat and fats, for example, donB次元官网网址檛 go into backyard compost bins without a processing system that can break them down properly B次元官网网址� putting all their kitchen scraps in one bin to take to the curb alongside their regular garbage has been a fairly easy transition.
Curbside pickup has also made her more conscious of her familyB次元官网网址檚 own eating habits.
B次元官网网址淚 try to make use of more of the food we cook now,B次元官网网址� she says, because she sees how much of it is going to waste when she takes it to the curb. B次元官网网址淎nd even when IB次元官网网址檓 shopping, I try to make sure IB次元官网网址檓 buying just what we need and in the amounts we will use to try to cut back on the waste we produce.B次元官网网址�
Restaurants and other food-based establishments are another story, however. Because of the amounts of food waste from these businesses, in terms of the percentages of whatB次元官网网址檚 being thrown out, the diligence required and buy-in from staff is paramount to the process. It was also a much larger and more significant transition when the ban was brought in.
Gary Strachan, operations manager of Bin 4 restaurant in Langford, says their garbage production has dropped by close to 70 per cent since the start of the year, now that the staff is on board.
B次元官网网址淭here have definitely been a few hiccups and itB次元官网网址檚 a bit of trial and error,B次元官网网址� he says, B次元官网网址渂ut there have been way fewer bumps in the road than I thought there would be when I heard it was coming.B次元官网网址�
Strachan says itB次元官网网址檚 much easier for staff members to adjust if they havenB次元官网网址檛 been in the business very long, because they havenB次元官网网址檛 developed instinctual ways of doing things.
B次元官网网址淚 find the younger kids have no issues with it. ItB次元官网网址檚 us old dogs that have trouble adjusting to doing things in a new way, but weB次元官网网址檙e getting there. IB次元官网网址檓 one of them,B次元官网网址� he says, pointing out there are numerous times throughout the day when he catches himself putting something in the wrong bin, purely because itB次元官网网址檚 what heB次元官网网址檚 done his whole career.
While they were incorporating the new system, he showed every employee at the beginning of each shift the new process for disposing of the organics, and he stressed its importance.
Strachan found that if he explained the B次元官网网址渨hyB次元官网网址� of it, the staff were much more receptive to making the change.
Bin 4 has five 64-gallon organics bins that are emptied twice weekly, on Mondays and Thursdays. ThatB次元官网网址檚 over 1,000 gallons of food waste per week being diverted from the landfill from just one restaurant and Strachan believes thatB次元官网网址檚 probably a typical amount for any restaurant of its size.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been in restaurants for over 20 years, and IB次元官网网址檇 say the average amount of garbage being produced is a pretty standard 70 per cent food waste,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淪o this new restriction is diverting a whole lot out of the landfill that doesnB次元官网网址檛 need to be there.B次元官网网址�
