Banff businesses have eight months until they have to switch to clear garbage bags, according to changes approved by council to the non-residential waste bylaw at its Feb. 27 meeting.
The changed bylaw was in front of elected officials for second and third reading, along with the residential waste bylaw, both of which were recommended for approval after a comprehensive review of the previous bylaw.
Changes to the bylaws involved a number of fee increases, and new fees like $240 per tonne for disposal of treated wood, but the biggest change proposed was to require non-residential waste in Banff to be disposed of in clear plastic garbage bags.
Deputy Mayor Stavros Karlos put forward an amendment to give businesses eight months before the change comes into effect, increasing it from six months proposed by administration.
“I am 100 per cent in support of this, I just want to make sure the transition is as smooth as possible,” said Karlos, adding six months from now puts the commercial sector in the middle of the summer season.
Resource recovery manager Ken Crerar presented the bylaws to council. Previously, council had one bylaw that covered residential and non-residential, but administration recommended separating the legislation. The Town of Banff is a municipality that offers waste services to businesses in the community and as a community has been moving toward organic diversion in both residential and non-residential sectors.
Each has different challenges and is administered in different ways, according to Crerar’s report to council.
As for the transition to clear bags, he told council administration would help businesses by providing guidance on how to transition. The goal of the clear bags is to increase diversion of recyclables from the landfill.
According to the staff report to council, a survey of businesses in Banff was conducted on recycling and the response of 65 businesses was that they agree with the environmental values behind recycling and the use of clear bags.
However, the survey also found commercial operators had limited space to store and sort recyclables, and they prefer non-monetary ways to encourage more recycling and non-acceptance of loads or bins to deal with compliance, as opposed to fines.
As for residential recycling, Councillor Chip Olver was disappointed to see that a recent waste characterization study found that 81.25 per cent of garbage Banff residents throw in their bearproof garbage bins to be shipped to landfill is, in fact, recyclable.
Because Banff has organic diversion, food waste represents the highest percentage of material still found in the garbage bins and the staff report suggested the next focus for administration is to focus on supporting a higher rate of diversion.
Organic food waste represented 33 per cent of garbage thrown out in spring for residential waste, 37 per cent in summer and 34 per cent in fall and winter.
The study also showed high levels of organics in non-residential waste – findings showed that food organics represented 30 per cent of commercial waste in spring, 56 per cent in summer, 53 per cent in fall and winter.
Full results of the waste characterization study have not yet been presented to council by administration. The study was done as a joint study with the Town of Canmore and saw Hankins Environmental Consulting examine residential and non-residential waste in both communities over a full year.
Canmore council was presented with the results of the study earlier this year, although parts of the report containing information of Banff were removed from its agenda package.
Karlos put forward a direction to administration following the bylaw’s approval by council to address the issue of source-separated organics in the community. Karlos also asked administration to return with a report on the issue that sets a target for a higher rate of diversion.
“Certainly we have had some movement in terms of diversion, but I think our non-residential sector can certainly do better and it is my understanding that administration is working toward this goal,” he said.
“I would like to set a target for seeing a higher rate of diversion and administration return with a report.”
But the issue of source-separated organics may not be as straightforward, given administration is currently investigating different technologies to treat materials collected at the wastewater treatment plant, according to Town Manager Robert Earl.
“We hope by the end of the year to have the results of that study and a capital request for changes to the wastewater treatment plan or a standalone plant to treat source-separated organics,” Earl said. “At that point, we will have a better understanding of our capacities.”
