Maggots are feasting on the leftovers in green bins, prompting some Metro residents to stop dumping their kitchen scraps and others to hire professionals to clean their bins.

But municipal officials say they don’t want the problem — which is more prevalent during the summer months because of the heat — to derail the region’s food scraps program because there are ways to keep the wiggly white larvae at bay.

“In Port Coquitlam, we call it the yuck issue, whether it’s maggots or fruit flies or other pests,” said Mayor Greg Moore, chairman of the Metro Vancouver Regional District.

Maggots and flies appear to be more prevalent this summer as many municipalities ramp up their kitchen scrap disposal programs ahead of a ban on all organics in garbage bins by the end of 2015. The regional program calls for all kitchen scraps — from apple cores and chicken bones to bread crusts, eggshells, coffee grounds, tea bags, paper towels and pizza boxes — to be placed with lawn clippings in green bins instead of trash cans.

The push is part of Metro Vancouver’s Zero Waste challenge, an ambitious goal to divert 70 per cent of the region’s waste from landfills by 2015 — up from 55 per cent now — and 80 per cent by 2020. To get there, Metro Vancouver must compost 265,000 tonnes of organics — roughly enough to fill a quarter of BC Place Stadium with compact garbage — each year.

Colin Bell, owner and chief of VIP Bin Cleaning, said his company has seen a huge jump in service in the past few weeks as a result of the heat. The bin cleaning service usually averages about 10 to 15 sign-ups per week, but last Monday, he had 10 in one day.

“Maggots are one thing that really brings the grossness out,” Bell said. “This is typical in the summer. When it gets hot, people tend to sign up and give us a call because they want a solution. The people who are grossed out probably don’t call us, they just close the lid. For sure, there’s a percentage of people who say they aren’t going to (use their green bins) over the summer.”

Albert Shamess, Vancouver’s director of waste management, said the city has received a few complaints this year about increased odours and flies, but said it is likely because this is the first summer the program has been running. The city also recently started allowing meat and dairy to be added to the green bins.

“Certainly, it may turn some (residents) off. We just hope they tough it through,” he said.

Rob Costanzo, Surrey’s deputy manager of operations, said his city is also piloting a cart-cleaning service for people who want their bins scrubbed professionally.

ksinoski@vancouversun.com