City of Kamloops
Kamloops City Council decided in November to pursue a curbside organic waste collection program in a phased approach, pending approval of grants. We here at BCSEA were happy to help out recently with a letter supporting one of the City’s funding applications. Good luck with that! We know how many Kamloops residents are eager to have a curbside organics program.
January 21, 2021
Dear: Grant Adjudicators
Re: CleanBC’s Organic Infrastructure and Collection Program, Residential Curbside Collection Stream
The BC Sustainable Energy Association (BCSEA) and its members are pleased to support the City of Kamloops’s application for funding to develop and implement a curbside residential organic waste (CROW) program.
BCSEA is a volunteer-based charity offering education and public outreach to accelerate the province’s transition to a lower-carbon economy. Because energy, usually from fossil fuels, contributes to almost everything we use and dispose of, waste reduction means less waste energy and is part of the repertoire of climate solutions that we promote.
A CROW program has tremendous support in Kamloops. The City of Kamloops conducted public engagement on its draft Community Climate Action Plan in October 2020. Of all the policy options presented, survey results from 532 respondents showed the highest levels of support for Waste Diversion (94%) and Local Organics Collection and Processing (93%). The Zero Waste Kamloops Facebook group has 2200 members (in our community of 95,000) and lively discussion on multiple posts each day.
From our organization’s perspective, we’re pleased at the GHG reductions that a CROW program can achieve, estimated by staff at 2800 tonnes per year. We also welcome a CROW program because it will be a step forward for many residents along the pathway of education and support for climate action behaviours. Research shows that once people begin to self-identity as climate champions, they are more likely to support stronger climate action on every
level.
Our Kamloops Chapter has promoted waste reduction opportunities in the past and will be happy to do the same for the proposed CROW program, as will allied organizations. We have 1800 social media followers and subscribers in the Kamloops region.
We hope the project will gain needed funding so it can proceed. Feel free to contact either of us with questions.
Regards,
British Columbia Sustainable Energy Association
1631 Oakland Avenue | Victoria B.C.| V8T 2L3 1
(604) 332-0025
info@bcsea.org | www.bcsea.org
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BCSEA Chapter BC, Canada, Kamloops
Thursday, January 21, 2021