Glenmore Landfill gets chatty
News Release
Residents can now chat with Oscar to learn about the Glenmore Landfill and other disposal options.
Earlier this year, the City of Kelowna launched Oscar on kelowna.ca, as a text-based chatbot, and on the Landfill phone line 250-469-8880, as a voice assistant. Oscar is available to answer landfill-related questions any time of the day or night, and any day of the year.
Residents can simply ask questions like where they can take specific items for disposal or recycling, as well as questions about the Glenmore Landfill, such as its hours of operation, accepted materials and fees. The chatbot and voice assistant will provide accurate and up-to-date answers, making it easy and convenient for residents to access the information they need, whenever they need it, on the channel of their choice.
“We are thrilled to offer this additional and innovative way for residents to access information about the Landfill and waste services on their own terms,” said Scott Hoekstra, Landfill & Compost Operations Manager. “This technology makes it easier for residents to stay informed and make informed waste management choices, which aligns with our City’s commitment to sustainability and waste reduction.”
The purpose of using this relatively new technology is to provide residents with a seamless and hopefully user-friendly experience, helping them to easily access information, make informed decisions and, ultimately, reduce waste in our community.
Voice assistant Oscar can also transfer callers to Landfill staff during regular office working hours (7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., seven days a week, excluding Christmas, Boxing and New Year’s days). Staff are happy to assist with cases that Oscar has trouble helping with. Since Oscar is new, isn’t perfect, still learning, and doesn’t know everything, patience is appreciated with both human and non-human entities.
“The City of Kelowna is committed to not only reducing waste and promoting sustainability, but also improving and expanding the services that we provide; this new technology is just one of the many steps we are taking to achieve these goals,” says Andreas Boehm, the City of Kelowna’s Intelligent Cities Manager. “We encourage landfill customers to start chatting with Oscar today.”
The Glenmore Landfill is owned and operated by the City of Kelowna and serves as the only solid waste disposal facility for residents within the Central Okanagan Regional District. It offers a variety of disposal options on site including recycling, organic materials and household/commercial waste. The Landfill also sells two Class A compost products, OgoGrow and GlenGrow. Start chatting about waste disposal, recycling or other landfill-related topics by visiting kelowna.ca, clicking on the chat icon in the lower right corner and then the option labelled Landfill, or by calling 250-469-8880.
For more information about our chatbots, visit kelowna.ca/intelligentcity.
