A plan to implement an industrial and commercial waste diversion program has been rescinded by the Town of Okotoks.
In 2018, Okotoks council approved a plan to phase in a three-streamed waste diversion program to be in place by December 2020 for industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) waste management. The implementation timeline was extended in May 2019, and at its Sept. 14 meeting, council made the decision to cease work on the strategy for the time being.
“The reality is we’ve had challenges and we continue to have significant challenges with regard to implementing an ICI strategy,” said Paul Lyons, Okotoks waste services manager.
He said the ICI strategy is a critical aspect of the 2020 Waste Management Plan approved by council in 2016, but there are ongoing struggles with the market for recyclables, particularly due to China refusing to take materials it once purchased from North America, like plastics.
There are also some issues managing organic waste, he said.
“We are almost at a monopoly when it comes to who is able to process organic materials,” said Lyons.
He said in a meeting with organic waste service providers last year, the Town was told the company had to set its fees at a rate that would make it profitable to come into Okotoks for collection.
As far as the ICI sectors, he said some big-box stores or larger grocery chains have programs in place, which makes it more difficult as smaller businesses would need to shoulder the cost of green bin collection.
“We are unable to, at this time, implement an ICI strategy that will help us achieve the divergent target but at the same time prove beneficial for these businesses who are already suffering from the fall-out with COVID-19,” said Lyons.
He said asking council to rescind its motion from November 2018 will allow the ICI strategy to be considered in future waste management programs rather than in the immediate future.
Mayor Bill Robertson agreed with the notion.
“We certainly want to go down this avenue eventually, but if it’s not right, right now, then so be it,” he said.
Coun. Ed Sands said he was in full support of making the change at this point in time.
“It’s a disappointment we can’t move ahead with this important diversion process,” he said. “However, especially if it’s going to be more costly in this COVID time now, we don’t need those kind of uncertainties.
“The market is going to be slow for changing in this regard as well, so it’s time we backed away from it and had a better look at it later.”
