FAQs

The current costs for garbage collection in the City are approximately $12/month per household. The estimated increase to move to a 3-stream collection (garbage, organics, recycling) will be $5-6/month for a total curbside collection cost of around $15-20/month.

In the landfill, organic waste is buried under layers of other waste and without access to oxygen, it can not decompose properly creating methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming and other harmful environmental issues. 

Food waste contributes to 30-50 per cent of waste sent to the landfill and uses up a lot of precious landfill space, which is finite.

If residents of the Alberni Valley take part in diverting organics from the Landfill, we can extend usage by an additional 35 years.

Landfill space is beneficial for long-term waste management and should only be used for materials that cannot be reused or recycled.

If high volumes of organic material continue to enter the landfill, GHG emissions will continue to rise, mandating a gas capture system that will cost Alberni Valley residents millions compared to an organic curbside collection service which has proved to be a successful diversion strategy and cost-effective solution.

All food scraps, including meat, bones, dairy and greases.

Yard waste, including grass, leaves, and branches.

Soiled paper (paper towel, pizza boxes, cardboard and tissues).

We still encourage you to continue backyard composting, however some food waste like meat, fish, poultry, bones and dairy are unsuitable for home composting systems and need to be sent to a composting facility to be properly processed into compost.

Yardwaste like branches will also be accepted in the new Curbside Organic Collection service which would require chipping prior to composting.

An automated collection truck equipped with a mechanical arm (same as current

garbage collection methods) will be used to pick up of standardized, wheeled carts for organics and recycling.