Mayor Sue McKortoff (right) signed a proclamation last week to declare the week of Oct. 17 – 23 as Waste Reduction Week in Canada in the Town of Osoyoos. And what better location to deliver her message than the Osoyoos Landfill Site, accompanied by scale clerk Jill Beck. The two posed by a pile of scrap metal as McKortoff spoke about the need to recycle — or better yet, reduce waste in the first place or re-use items. (Richard McGuire photo)
The Town of Osoyoos is using Waste Reduction Week in Canada to encourage local residents to cut down on the garbage that ends up in the town’s landfill site.
On a chilly day last Thursday, Mayor Sue McKortoff went to the landfill to deliver a proclamation declaring Oct. 17 – 23 as Waste Reduction Week in Osoyoos.
She was accompanied by Jill Beck, who is now scale clerk and a town employee since the town took over direct operation of the landfill at the end of August.
McKortoff has been a strong advocate for waste reduction and the retired teacher emphasizes a different “three R’s” when it comes to reducing waste: “Reduce, recycle and re-use.”
The town, she said, has been leading by example, taking bottles to the bottle depot and using the money to support programs at the Sonora Community Centre.
“I think that people are getting used to recycling,” said McKortoff, acknowledging that Beck sometimes has to deal with people who don’t see any reason to separate their recyclables from waste.
Beck says there’s an education process, especially since over the past month there’s been anywhere from two to five new people a day moving to town.
Many are unsure what can be recycled and how it should be separated.
“We have pamphlets and we answer questions,” said Beck. “We try to give them a quick rundown so they understand how it works and try to help them out the best we can.”
Most people are co-operative, Beck said, but a minority “are having issues” – they don’t see any reason not to put recyclables into the landfill.
The town, she said, has a bylaw that bans recyclables from the garbage area.
“We try and reinforce that because we don’t want to fine people,” said Beck. “But we will if we have to.”
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
