Starting this month, food waste organics for composting is being collected from Town of Cochrane buildings, all in part of the town’s commitment to zero-waste living, said waste and recycling manager Sharon Howland.
Compost bins are being collected from the Cochrane RancheHouse, Big Hill Leisure Pool, Protective Services Centre and Operational Services, full from staff and lunch room discards like coffee grounds and filters, tea bags and food scraps.
“The bin pickup is limited to town buildings,” said Howland.
Currently, there is no curbside compost pickup for Cochrane residents, she added.
Still, she encourages Cochranites to compost, and drop the organic waste — food and yard waste — off at the Eco Centre.
“While we don’t have curbside organic pickup for citizens now, we’re hoping to engage Cochrane residents on this issue sometime later this year,” she said.
There will be user fees associated with the additional service, she added.
The town waste is being collected on a weekly basis and taken, along with the compost from the Cochrane Eco Centre, to the Olds College Compost Facility in Olds, Alta. Once there, the compost is mixed with other organics — yard waste and manure — to produce a high-quality soil amendment the college uses either in their agricultural operations, or to sell to generate revenue.
By 2020, the Town of Cochrane hopes to have 80 per cent waste diversion from town buildings by utilizing recycling and composting programs.
