The Town of Okotoks is offering some new options for organics collection this spring.

Waste Services Manager Paul Lyons says the changes are aimed at diverting material from the landfill, as well as providing the best possible organics collection program for residents.

For example, residents can now upgrade to a 240-litre capacity green bin for an additional fee of $1.80 per month or $3.60 per billing cycle.

"Residents said that they needed additional capacity," Lyons says. "So we have purchased some additional green bins. They are twice the size of the current green organic containers. Residents will be able to access this, they're currently available, all they have to do is to go online and increase the size of their bin."

Also, the town's Cut 'n Call program is no more.  Instead, residents will be able to place excess yard waste in compostable bags beside their green carts for pick-up on their regular collection days in the months of May and October.

"The next thing that we have done is we have placed some roll-off bins at the Eco Centre," he says. "And this is part of our strategy to manage the number of trips that we were making to the compost pad which is located at the Foothills landfill."

He says yard waste such as grass and leaves, but not branches, will be accepted at the Eco Centre bins. Branches can be placed in the green carts or bundled and placed curbside for collection.

Lyons points out that the objective of the new initiatives is to continue to increase the town's landfill diversion rates. Currently, diversion rates are sitting at 60 per cent and Lyons says the goal is to increase that number to 80 per cent over the next two years.

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