Food Scraps and Recycling Bylaw 464

New Business Food Scraps & Recycling Requirement

The Town of Banff has recently passed a bylaw that requires all non-residential sector entities to separate food scraps and recycling from garbage. The bylaw came into effect on October 1, 2022 with enforcement beginning in 2023.   

Building owners and property managers are responsible for ensuring adequate bins are in place  and informing their tenants of the requirement to separate food scraps from garbage. All businesses that rent space in a building are expected to participate in the program. Garbage bins that contain visible amounts of food scraps and recycling will no longer be acceptable and could be subject to fines.  

How-to resources and a training video at BanffZeroWasteTrail.ca/Commercial

Banff is Moving Toward Zero Waste  

Diverting food scraps & recycling from landfill supports the Town of Banff’s goals to reach 70% waste diversion by 2028, zero waste to landfill, and ultimately become a model environmental community.   

Enforcement  
An education-first approach will be used to inform the owner of a non-residential premises when they are not in compliance with the bylaw, by way of administrative warnings and education. Town of Banff staff will reach out, provide educational resources, and collaborate with the establishment for a up to a month before enforcing with fines, with the shared goal being to reach compliance.  

In the case that compliance is not reached, Municipal Enforcement will issue warnings and voluntary payments (fines) as listed in the bylaw.  

Need assistance? Sign up for a waste assessment.   

The Town of Banff’s assessment process will help you identify key opportunities to move toward zero waste in your business, including diverting your food scraps and recycling. This will take about an hour and can be done virtually or in-person. 

  1. What is changing?
  2. Why is the Town implementing this ban?
  3. How can I get my program set up?
  4. Where do I dispose of my food scraps?
  5. What do I do with my recycling?
  6. Who is responsible for ensuring my establishment is in compliance with the material ban?
  7. When will the requirement come into effect?
  8. How will the bylaw be enforced?
  9. What happens to my food scraps after the Town collects it?
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Case StudyBuffalo Mountain Lodge Composting

Buffalo Mountain Lodge/Town of Banff Guest-Facing Kitchenette Composting Pilot

The Guest-Facing Kitchenette Composting Pilot is a collaboration between the Town of Banff and the Buffalo Mountain Lodge to evaluate the effectiveness of food scraps and recycling programs in hotel kitchenettes and determine barriers for guests and staff. The program was piloted by installing composting bins in five rooms that contain kitchenettes while recording the efficiency of waste sorting over the course of a month. Guests were informed of the program at the front desk and through signage inside rooms, while employees were trained by the Town of Banff. 

The program achieved overall success, and the Buffalo Mountain Lodge manager said his doubts turned to surprise with how well people adjusted to the food scraps program. Cleaners who monitored the rooms noted guests were generally complying, and bins were used correctly. Housekeeping reported that long-term guests performed better than short-term guests, and while some misplaced items were observed, such as coffee creamers and stir sticks, overall the waste was properly separated. The demographic of recoded guests were mostly Canadians who arrived from municipalities that implement similar programs. Data is yet to be collected on the engagement of international guests. 

The goal of the project is to apply what we learned from the pilot and adjust the Town of Banff’s resources accordingly so that programs can be introduced in similar contexts in other hotels. The Town of Banff provides kits for $5 which include kitchen catcher bin, sample compostable bag, and signage. The Town of Banff hopes to see the program applied in all hotel kitchenettes as part of its goal to move toward zero waste.