Banff Expands Waste Operations as Day-Use Tourism Grows, Costs Jump 38%

The Town of Banff has expanded its pedestrian waste operations in response to a rise in day-use visitors generating more garbage in the townsite, particularly during peak tourism months. The expansion is part of preparations for another busy summer, with the federal government set to bring back its Canada Strong Pass.

Waste volume growth was identified during the council's 2025 resource review as one of the key operational challenges facing the town’s waste system. A rise in day-use visitors spending time in public spaces rather than staying overnight has led to more waste being collected from pedestrian bins across the community, prompting the town to extend service hours and increase operating costs.

“We’d find people coming from Calgary or wherever. They bring their own lunches. The increased amount of waste generated from the pedestrian level has been significant, and we’ve had to respond to that,” said Paul Godfrey, director of operations for the Town of Banff.

Data provided by the Town of Banff on waste collected from roughly 230 garbage and recycling units located throughout the public realm show this increase in pedestrian waste volumes.

In 2024, waste collected from pedestrian bins weighed about 140 metric tonnes. By 2025, that figure had risen to approximately 150 metric tonnes, an increase of about 7%.

The town has responded by expanding its Town Run service, with crews responsible for emptying pedestrian garbage and recycling bins, maintaining bin sites and stocking dog waste bag dispensers throughout the community.

To keep up with peak visitor activity, crews now service bins and clean high-traffic areas daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., May through October. This increase in seasonal service allowed crews in 2025 to service 175 to 250 bins per day during peak summer months, compared with 60 to 80 bins per day in the off-season.

Maintaining the pedestrian waste network required about 4,930 staff hours in 2025, equivalent to roughly 2.3 full-time positions.

The town’s 2026 budget allocates increased funding to the Town Run service to maintain these expanded operations.

Operating expenses for the Town Run totalled $330,625 in 2024, increasing to $400,785 in 2025. The proposed 2026 budget projects those costs will reach $454,835, a 38% increase in annual funding since 2024.

Labour accounts for the largest share of these expenses, and expanded service levels are expected to drive further increases. Wages and benefits tied to Town Run operations rose from $277,116 in 2024 to $341,820 in 2025, with the 2026 budget projecting $389,450.

Succeeding this expansion, the federal government has announced it will offer its Canada Strong Pass again from June 19 to Sept. 7, 2026, providing free admission to national parks and conservation areas, including Banff National Park. The program could bring similar challenges of overcrowding and increased waste volumes seen during the pass’s introduction last year.

“The increase in tourism and permanent population is a variable. And so we’re having to respond, and that’s something that we see in the Town Run,” said Godfrey.

Banff National Park recorded more than 3.3 million visits during the peak season alone in 2025. With the program returning this summer, the town expects another surge in visitors and says it will continue adjusting service levels as visitor patterns evolve to ensure public spaces remain clean during the busiest months of the year.