Saanich will undertake a service model review of its yard and garden dropoff service, after the item was unanimously approved by council at its July 19 meeting.
There are three parts to the service, headquartered at the Saanich operations centre off Borden Road: yard waste dropoff, green bin organics system, and the curbside pickup of leaves that are composted and returned back into Saanich neighbourhoods.
A staff report stated the service, which has remained virtually unchanged since 1991, is in need of upgrades despite the addition of curbside collection options in 2014.
More than 110,000 vehicles per year are processed onsite for yard and garden waste dropoffs, a system that is being reviewed by a redevelopment project team.
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“The separation of waste streams is critical and one of the laments of society – we want the recycling problem to be solved. This isn’t waste and it shouldn’t be going into landfills, but rather a nutritious resource that should go back into the lands of Saanich,” said Mayor Fred Haynes.
The proposed evaluation following council’s unanimous decision will include improvements such as a comprehensive analysis of the existing service, a review of best practices, and an assessment of climate and sustainability impacts and opportunities.
The Saanich Operations Centre said they will take into account climate actions, such as the number of vehicles that visit the site, and assess how changes will impact carbon emissions.
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