The city is looking at an expansion to its curbside yard waste program that would see yard waste picked up every other week from April to November.
Currently, yard waste is picked up for two weeks in the spring and two weeks in the fall.
A city staff report heading to the Infrastructure, Development and Enterprise Committee, and then council, is recommending the change be implemented in 2017.
There is no estimate of what that would cost or how it would be funded.
The report states those factors will be considered in the upcoming budget process for 2017.
"The proposed service level increase will also address fee changes required to fund the program as well as a mechanism to review the fee structure," says the report heading to the committee level on July 5.
Staff says increased curbside pick-up will have a variety of benefits.
They include reducing the amount of traffic and the wear and tear on the system at the Waste Resource Innovation Centre, where a lot of residents drop off their yard waste, giving residents more discretion on getting rid of their yard waste and reducing traffic congestion at the drop-off site.
Previously free, that residential yard waste will now cost $5 to drop off starting Aug. 1 if a staff recommendation goes through.
"Additionally reducing traffic flow through an expanded curbside yard waste program reduces the carbon footprint associated with the current yard waste disposal practice by an estimated 200 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year," says the staff report.
It also says that expanded curbside pick-up in addition to a $5 drop-off fee will encourage backyard composting.
People dropping off yard waste at the public facility is putting a strain on the system there, the report says, and helping create long lineups, delays and complaints from the public.
