Residential Curbside Collection Service

Sorting your recycling and making sure it gets to the right collection stream is one of the most important parts of the recycling process. The more recycling that is sorted correctly, the less work for collection staff and facility workers, as well as more items that can be recycled without fear of contamination. Sorting can be a difficult process though, with many different types of materials that must be collected and recycled in different ways. This guide will walk you through what goes to specific depots and what can be picked up curbside, as well as some locations to take difficult-to-recycle items like motor oil or batteries.

Why don’t all the recycling streams accept the same items?

Creston has three main streams of recycling collection for your non-deposit recycling, the curbside collection program, the Helen Street core depot, and the Creston Landfill satellite depot. The Return-It depot in town accepts recyclables that you pay a deposit on during purchase. You can return your beverage containers at this location to receive a refund of your deposit.

You may be wondering why the different streams don’t all accept the same materials. This comes down to preventing contamination at the sorting facilities where the recyclables are transferred to. Certain materials, for example flexible plastics, can get caught in sorting equipment when recycled through curbside programs that collect all recyclables together in one bin. Instead they must be sorted and taken to the depot to avoid this issue.

The curbside collection program accepts most types of recyclables except for, most prominently, glass, styrofoam, and flexible plastics. It cannot accept glass because it is dangerous for collectors, and it cannot accept Styrofoam or flexible plastics because they can easily get caught in equipment at the sorting facility and can contaminate other recyclables.

The Helen Street depot, as a core RecycleBC recycling depot, accepts all materials accepted under the curbside program in addition to glass, Styrofoam, and flexible plastics.

The Creston Landfill functions as a satellite depot. This means that, due to space and other factors, it only accepts the most common categories of recyclables: paper & cardboard, plastic & metal containers, and glass.

What Goes Where?

Curbside Collection

All of these are broad categories and include a wide variety of recyclables, click here for a more detailed list of accepted materials.

Helen Street Depot

412 Helen Street, Tuesday-Saturday, 9am-4pm

The Helen Street Depot accepts all items that the other streams accept as well as glass, styrofoam, and flexible plastics. Before going to the depot, make sure your recycling is sorted and rinsed out.

Click here for a more detailed list of accepted materials.

Creston Landfill

1501 Mallory Road, Tuesday-Saturday, 9am-4pm

Click here for more info about the Creston Landfill.

Return-It Depot

1420 Northwest Boulevard, Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-3:30pm

Return-It accepts beverage containers that you pay a deposit for at purchase, you just need to sort them, and you can get your deposit back.

Click here for more info on Return-It’s accepted materials and the deposit refund you will receive for each item.

If you’re unsure where something goes check the Creston Recycles app!

The Creston Recycles Web and Mobile Phone App provides you with your curbside collection schedule, reminders, Town notifications, and what-goes-where (Wizard) tool. The Wizard tool can be used for any type of material. Creston Recycles provides information on how to properly dispose of different types of waste and the location of local drop-off sites. You can download this app for free onto your mobile device from your App Store or access it on the Town of Creston website.

Alternative Recycling and Waste Drop-Off

There are many items that RecycleBC does not accept that can still be recycled! Here are some local options for recycling some of those more difficult items.

Recycling Council of BC – Visit them at https://rcbc.ca/recyclepedia/ to find out how and where to properly recycle or dispose of almost any item.

Creston Valley Gleaners – Many items can be donated before ending up in the landfill. Creston Valley Gleaners is an exceptional community organization where you can take your gently used items and clothing to be given a second life.

Online Marketplaces –There are many resources online if you want to sell your gently used items. This is a great alternative to sending them to the landfill or if you don’t have time for a yard sale.

Beverage Containers

Return-It – Return-It Depots accept a variety of different beverage containers.

Yard and Garden Waste

Sullivan Stone (501 Helen Street) – Sullivan Stone is a local business that accepts clean yard and garden waste for free. Accepted materials are leaves, grass clippings, soil, and plants - NO branches or wood products.

Electronics and Appliances

Major appliances - The Creston Landfill accepts most major residential appliances to be recycled for free on behalf of the Major Appliance Recycling Roundtable (MARR).

Return-It electronics - Many Return-It depots accept small electronics. The closest depots to Creston that accept them are Cranbrook, Nelson, and Salmo.

ElectroRecycle – ElectroRecycle accepts small appliances and power tools. They host free collection events in Creston periodically. Check the Town website for updates.

Batteries – Multiple locations in Creston accept used batteries to be recycled, click here to find locations.

Motor Oil

Scrap King Autowrecking & Towing is now accepting CLEAN, USED MOTOR OIL. Reach them at: 211 Collis St, Creston | Phone: (250) 428-2323 | Website: https://www.scrapkingauto.com/

Medications

Multiple locations in Creston accept used medications to be recycled, click here to find locations

Scrap Metal

Scrap King Autowrecking & Towing is now accepting scrap metal for recycling. A drop-off bin is available from Monday-Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. Reach them at: 211 Collis St, Creston | Phone: (250) 428-2323 | Website: https://www.scrapkingauto.com/

Tires

Multiple locations in Creston accept used tires to be recycled, click here to find locations

Great News for Creston Residents!

Have you been wondering where to responsibly dispose of your used motor oil lately? Well, worry no more because Scrap King Autowrecking & Towing has come to the rescue and are now accepting CLEAN, USED MOTOR OIL.

Thank you, Scrap King, for taking this eco-friendly step and supporting our community. It's businesses like yours that make Creston an even better place to live!

Scrap King Autowrecking & Towing | 211 Collis St, Creston | Phone: (250) 428-2323 | Website: https://www.scrapkingauto.com/

It’s garden season and that means you may find yourself with a lot more yard waste. Grasscycling is an easy way to combat one of the most common types of yard waste: grass clippings. Here we’ll explain what exactly grasscycling is and how you can start this practice with your lawn, as well as a few other ways to make use of your yard waste.

What is Grasscycling?

Grasscycling is the process of recycling grass clippings by leaving them on your lawn after you mow. The grass clippings will quickly decompose and give valuable nutrients back to the soil. Grasscycling provides extra moisture and nutrients for your lawn which means greener grass and a deeper, healthier root system that increases your lawn’s resistance to disease, drought and insects. This will save you time, money and effort as less watering, less hauling and bagging, and less fertilizer will be required for your lawn.

Five Reasons to Grasscycle

1. Grasscycling improves lawn quality. When grass clippings are allowed to decay naturally on the lawn, they release valuable nutrients, add water-saving mulch and encourage natural soil aeration by earthworms.
2. Grasscycling saves time and work. A recent study in the United States found that 147 homeowners who quit bagging their clippings saved an average of 35 minutes per mowing. That's an average of seven hours per season ... or a day at the beach.
3. All lawn mowers can grasscycle. No special mower is necessary. For best results, keep the mower blade sharp and mow only when the grass is dry.
4. Grass clippings are a free, high-nitrogen fertilizer. When clippings decompose, they release their nutrients back to the lawn. They contain nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, as well as lesser amounts of other essential plant nutrients. When left on the lawn, clippings are rapidly broken down into these nutrients, which are returned to the lawn. There's no polluting run-off, no use of non-renewable resources and no damage to soil organisms or wildlife.
5. Grasscycling is a simple, easy opportunity for every homeowner to do something good for the environment. Grasscycling is a responsible environmental practice and an opportunity for all homeowners to reduce their waste. And, the best part is, it take less time and energy than bagging and dragging that grass to the landfill.

Rules of Thumb

• Don't cut more than one third of the grass blade.
• Cut regularly. If the grass is long, cut off short amounts in several mowings rather than all at once. Cutting too short and not often enough are common errors of lawn care.
• Use any kind of mower, but make sure it has a sharp blade.
• Mow only when the grass is dry.
• Never mow during a drought.
• Prevent excessive grass growth by watering (and fertilizing) in moderation.
• Spread out large clumps of grass with a rake in order to evenly distribute clippings over your lawn.

Myths about Grasscycling

Myth #1

Leaving grass clippings on the lawn causes thatch.

Facts:

Clippings and thatch are simply not connected. Thatch results from the abnormally fast growth of roots and other plant tissues and is caused by improper fertilizing and watering. Grass clippings left on the lawn decay quickly and release valuable nutrients back to established grass.

Myth #2

Grasscycling is messy.

Facts:

Grass clippings decay quickly and disappear within a day or two. lf you're worried about people tracking grass into your home or pool, try mowing late in the day so that clippings have time to dry and settle overnight.

Myth #3

Grass clippings damage lawns,

Facts:

Mowing regularly and at the proper height improves your lawn. lf you allow the grass to grow too long between cuttings, the thick patches of mowed clippings will suffocate your lawn in those areas. Gradually reducing your lawn to its proper height over a period of two or three mowings, rather than scalping it back to that height in one mowing can minimize this problem. A good rule of thumb is: Never remove more than one third of the leaf surface at any one time.

Myth #4

Grasscycling spreads diseases.

Facts:

The spores that cause grass diseases are present whether clippings are collected or not. Watering properly, only when needed (one inch of water every five to six days, in early morning) and keeping your mower blade very sharp for clean cutting will help your lawn resist disease

Other Ways to Utilize your Yard Waste:

Grasscycle with leaves

You can also grasscycle with leaves in the fall! Just run your mower over dry leaves that fall on your lawn to break them into smaller pieces. You’ll want to make sure that the pieces are small enough that they can settle into your lawn and decompose, which may take a couple turns over them with your mower. Make sure to do this before the leaves get wet, as they can get stuck in your mower and are much harder to chop. The decomposing leaves will give your soil valuable nutrients and make your lawn grow strong and healthy through the spring.

Compost in a backyard composter

If you have the ability, composting leaves, grass, and other yard and garden waste is a great way to prevent a trip to the landfill! Layering yard waste with other food scraps in your backyard composter can really improve the quality of your compost. The compost can then be used to make your garden flourish in the spring.

Use leaves, grass, and wood scraps to make your own mulch

This is a great way to use yard waste that can benefit your garden as well as save you the cost of buying mulch. Piling leaves, grass, and chipped wood scraps on your garden can keep your beds moist and full of nutrients. 3-6 inches of leaves and other clippings are recommended. It can also insulate and protect plants during the winter. Then in the spring or summer you can turn the mulch into your garden, giving your plants healthy soil to grow.

Plastic bags and other flexible plastics are not compatible with curbside recycling programs in British Columbia. When flexible plastics are collected from the curb with other recyclables, they cannot be easily separated at the sorting facility. They wrap around machinery and impair the recyclability of other recyclables. Please note that styrofoam and other foam packaging can also not be collected at the curb for the same reasons.

What are flexible plastics?

“Flexible plastics” refers to plastics that can be easily crumpled or manipulated. They are included under the “Other Flexible Plastic Packaging” category of recyclable.

Flexible plastics include: plastic bags of all types, plastic overwrap, crinkly plastic, stand-up and zipper lock pouches, flexible packaging with plastic seal, woven and net plastic bags, protective and squishy cushion packaging, and any other type of plastic film.

You’ll find flexible plastics everywhere in your day-to-day life. They are most commonly used for packaging, especially food products, and in protective packaging for shipping. Sometimes flexible plastics can be sneaky, so here’s a list of common flexible plastics you may encounter:

So if flexible plastics aren’t compatible with the curbside program, where can you take them?

• The 412 Helen Street Recycling Depot (behind Arrow Mountain Carwash) collects the “Other Flexible Plastic Packaging” category. Here, they are collected as one stream, meaning you can sort all your flexible plastics together and place them in the same bin at the depot. These types of plastic can be collected this way because they are compatible when being recycled together. The depot’s hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Depots can collect “other flexible plastics” while curbside programs cannot because depot recycling is already sorted and the flexible plastics can’t contaminate other recyclable materials at a sorting facility.

What’s not included in depot collection of “other flexible plastics”: Plastic-lined paper or paper-lined plastic, plastic strapping, flexible/soft 6-pack rings, plastics labeled biodegradable, compostable, or oxo- degradable. With our current recycling program, these must go into the garbage.

• If you are unable to take your flexible plastics to the depot, they can be thrown in the garbage.

• A few flexible plastics can be reused. For example, clean plastic bags can be used around the house to store and carry items.

• Please note that the Creston Landfill does NOT accept flexible plastics or styrofoam as part of their recyclable collection as they are only a satellite depot.

If you are unsure about where to put an item the following resources are here to help you out:

Creston Recycles Web and Mobile Phone App provides residents with their curbside collection schedule, reminders, Town notifications, and what-goes-where (Wizard) tool. The Wizard tool can be used for any type of material. Creston Recycles provides information on how to properly dispose of different types of waste and the location of local drop-off sites. You can download this app for free onto your mobile device from your App Store or access it here at: https://creston.ca/2429/Curbside-Collection---Garbage-Recycling- on the Town of Creston website.

Prohibited and Accepted Waste Schedules outline which items are allowed in the curbside collection program. There is lots of valuable information and more specifics on regulations which can be accessed at the following links on the Town of Creston website: https://creston.ca/DocumentCenter/View/3133/Schedule-A---Accepted-Waste https://creston.ca/DocumentCenter/View/3184/Schedule-B---Prohibited-Waste

When in doubt, throw it out! If you’ve exhausted all your resources and still can’t figure out where to put your item, throw it in the garbage. This prevents contamination of recycling and compost.

Insects and Odours in your Green Bin? Here are some quick solutions!

Composting has many benefits but it can be difficult to tackle smelly odours and insects. Here are some easy tips and tricks on how to keep your Green Bin clean this summer!

Make sure your Green Bin lid is always shut tightly and that it’s not open for long periods of time when you’re filling it. This prevents insects from getting into your compost.

Put out your Green Bin weekly, even if it isn’t full. This prevents food waste from sitting for long periods of time and generating odours. It also clears out any bugs that may have found their way into your compost.

Clean out your Green Bin regularly with soap or a water-vinegar mixture to keep your bin fresh and prevent odours. The most effective way to keep your bin clean is to quickly rinse it out after collection every week or two.

Keep your Green Bin in a cool/shady and dry place. Places like a garage, shed, or under an overhang or porch, are great to store your bin. If you have to store your bin indoors, keep it in a cool place like a basement, under the stairs, or in a closet or cabinet. Under the sink is a great place to store your kitchen catcher if you have the space.

Spray vinegar or lemon juice in your Green Bin to prevent maggots as well as bad odours. Insects can’t survive in acidic environments so it’s an easy way to ward them off.

Drain as much liquid as possible from your organic waste before you put it in your Green Bin. You should also freeze grease and cooking oil before putting them in your bin.

Freeze any particularly smelly and messy food waste in your freezer until collection day. You can do this by wrapping it in newspaper, a paper bin liner, or any other 100% paper product and then placing it in your freezer. This can eliminate smelly liquids and waste from sitting in your bin. It also limits bugs and keeps your bin clean. You can even store your Kitchen Catcher in your freezer and put your kitchen scraps straight in there!

Use 100% paper bin liners or bags for your Green Bin and Kitchen Catcher. These prevent leakage as well as contain smells. They also keep the sides of your bin clean. Some great options are:

• A few pages of newspaper, either wrapped around your food waste or lining your bin.
• Bag to Earth bin liners. These are made of fully compostable materials that can break down in Creston’s Composting Facility. These are available locally at Pealow’s Your Independent Grocer, Save-On-Foods and Home Hardware.
• Any 100% paper bag, for example, a takeout food bag or Kraft paper bag. You can layer two of these together for even more coverage.
• Parchment paper, either wrapped around your food waste or lining your bin.

Please note that ALL plastics, including compostable and biodegradable plastics, are NOT permitted in your Green Bin. Paper with a plastic/shiny coating is also not permitted. These plastics cannot break down properly at the Composting Facility and can contaminate the compost.

Put extra newspaper, paper towel or ripped up cardboard in your Green Bin to soak up excess moisture. You can place some at the bottom of your bin, or layer it between food waste. Keeping your compost dry will prevent odours as well as insects.

Sprinkle baking soda in your bin to prevent odours and soak up moisture.

Wrap any meat scraps in newspaper before putting them in your Green Bin. Freezing meat scraps is more effective at preventing insects, but if you cannot, wrapping your meat scraps and other smelly food waste can help prevent leakage, odour, and insects.

Put a few drops of essential oil in your bin to ward off odours. Tea tree, lemongrass, peppermint, and eucalyptus are all great options. You could also try mixing a few drops with water and then spraying it in your bin.

Sprinkle rock salt, garden lime, or powdered ginger in your Green Bin to ward off insects.

All these tips can also be applied to your indoor kitchen catcher. Thank you for your great work keeping Creston green!

We are set to launch a new Curbside Collection Service in Spring 2022. This Fall we will be connecting with the community to help make the service work for you. Subscribe to email updates to stay informed on this project.

Garbage, recycling, kitchen scraps, yard waste... the Town plays a central role in how local households manage waste. Public consultation and conversations with community members have inspired us to work towards a more convenient, accessible, and sustainable Curbside Collection Service.

Creston's new Curbside Collection Service is designed to better meet local needs:

• Kitchen scraps will be collected weekly. The Town will supply an outdoor cart and indoor “kitchen catcher” container.
• An unlimited amount of recycling will be collected every-other-week. The Town plans to supply "blue boxes" for collecting recyclables.
• Garbage will be collected every-other-week up to a limit of 1container (max. weight of 50lbs). Extra “bag tags” will still be available for purchase.
• Garbage and recycling collection will alternate week to week.
• The Town will continue to provide seasonal yard waste collection multiple times per year.

The Town has many goals for the new service. A top priority is long-term environmental stewardship, including greenhouse gas emission reductions. Our commitment to sound financial management means that we are serious about dealing with rising fees that we pay for disposing of garbage at the landfill and extending the life of that facility. Inclusivity, accessibility, convenience, and affordability always matter to us.

The Town and the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) each play a role in helping our citizens to manage household waste. The upcoming changes for our municipality are part of the broader RDCK "Less Is More" effort. We are proud to be teaming up with neighbouring communities to develop services and solutions for reducing waste in the RDCK.

The Town had originally aimed to begin offering new services in Fall 2021. We plan to launch our new Curbside Collection Service once the RDCK Organics Composting Facility at the Creston Landfill site is ready to receive kitchen scraps.

Over the coming months, we will be reaching out to the community to prepare for launching a new Curbside Collection Service. We are eager for participation from residents and property owners.

We will be asking a whole series questions that will shape how we approach rolling out the new service. For instance, we want feedback on what size and type of container to use for collecting recyclables. We also need input on how to best make the new schedule easy to follow.

Other questions will aim to get the community working together to develop made-in-Creston solutions for accessibility, convenience, and waste reduction. We hope to get people sharing ideas and inspiration for managing household waste. Together, we can build on experience from elsewhere in BC and figure out implementation challenges like how to store kitchen scraps in the home, what to do with the recyclables and other waste that the Town won't be collecting, and how to reduce the overall amount of waste that we produce in our homes.

Let's harness our collective knowledge, creativity, and resourcefulness! You can begin preparing to participate today...

• Start thinking about how you currently manage your garbage, recycling, kitchen scraps, and yard waste.
• Read this page to refresh your understanding of the changes that are planned.
• Use the Questions function on this page to ask us any questions that you may have.
• Talk with family, friends, and neighbours about how making the new model work for your households and the environment.

To stay in the loop, subscribe to email updates on this project. To get involved in this and other municipal initiatives, register for a Let's Talk Creston account.

The Town of Creston is encouraging residents to take part in the RDCK Resource Recovery Plan Survey. This survey will not impact the planned changes to Creston’s own Curbside Collection Service. It does offer all RDCK residents the opportunity to weigh in on the future of solid waste management in our region.

Click here to learn more and have your say by filling out the RDCK's online feedback survey.

Not able to fill out the survey online? No problem. Give the RDCK a call at (250) 352-1576 and they will go through the survey with you.

Complete the survey to enter to win a $100 gift certificate.

Feedback on the draft plan will be accepted until June 27, 2021.