Effective March 31, 2025
Nelson, BC: On January 16, 2025, the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) Board of Directors approved the permanent closure of the Winlaw Recycling Depot located at 5686 Highway 6 in Electoral Area H. The site will continue to service its customers until its permanent closure on March 31, 2025.
The closest facilities to use upon closure are the Slocan Transfer Station (8875 Slocan South Road) or the Crescent Valley Recycling Depot (1285 Highway 6, beside the Community Hall).
Closing Winlaw was one of the recommendations of the Tipping Fee Cost Recovery Assessment & Resource System Efficiency Study (the Study), completed by GHD Consulting in 2024 to identify options for improving operational efficiencies, cost-effectiveness, and equitability of the regions Resource Recovery Program.
The Study compared RDCK to other regional districts, based on the hours of operation and the number of facilities per capita, and recommended closing any facilities which are collecting less than 50 kg of recycling per hour of operation and are located less than a 20-minute drive from other RDCK facilities.
Winlaw Recycling Depot is a Satellite Depot which accepts fewer materials than a Core Depot due to transportation costs and space restrictions; it receives approximately 40 kg per hour on average of household glass, plastic and paper products per hour of operation, and is approximately 19 km from the Slocan Core Recycling Depot, and approximately 24 km from the Crescent Valley Core Recycling Depot.
Closing Winlaw Recycling Depot will annually save an estimated $40,885 in operational costs, such as rent, snow removal, hauling of collected recyclables, staffing and supplies.
Recommendations in the Study related to tipping fee cost recovery and operational efficiencies are still being considered by Staff and the RDCK Board, and more changes will be proposed in 2025.