The Town of Olds is asking residents to only dump grass clippings, leaves and garden waste in the 65 large green bins scattered on boulevards around town.
And if a particular bin is full, bring your waste to another one that has space instead of leaving waste beside the bins.
Scott Chant, the town's public works and utilities manager, said it's an “ongoing issue” where some people are dumping prohibited items such as branches or garbage in the bins.
In other cases, if a bin is full, people are leaving waste beside the bins instead of looking for a receptacle in another part of town that has space for waste or they are putting yard waste that is allowable in the bins in plastic bags.
“The intent was to (have people) empty the bags into the bin,” Chant said.
He said he believes such problems are happening in the community right now because spring was so late arriving this year and people are in a hurry to prepare their yards and gardens.
Chant also said the town is concerned some residents may believe there is no cost attached to the yard waste collection program.
But the town pays Mountain View Regional Waste (MVRW) to collect the waste left in the bins and drop it off at Olds College where it is used for composting purposes.
The cost to the town to have the waste collected and brought to the college is $35,000 a year, Chant said, and on top of that, the town must pay MVRW $28 per bin per month for pickup.
“So add on another $12,000 to $15,000,” he said.
The collection costs are incorporated into the waste collection fees residents and businesses in town pay, Chant added.
Having yard waste in plastic bags or garbage dumped in the bins causes problems for people working in the college's composting program.
“When the college sorts it and screens it, that material has to be hauled away to the landfill,” Chant said, adding plastic bags and other garbage can also “contaminate” the compostable materials.
And in the case of waste left beside bins, town workers have to pick that waste up and bring it to another bin or, if the waste includes prohibited materials such as branches or garbage, take it to the transfer station.
Such activities, Chant said, take town workers away from more important duties.
If such problems continue, he said, the town may be forced to consider raising the cost of waste collection services for the community.
“There's one or two people who are disrespectful who are messing it up for everyone,” Chant said.
