City Explores Expanding the Waste Services Utility

Today, in a report to the Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services, City Administration outlined options to expand the Waste Services Utility. Expanding the Waste Services Utility would mean reducing property taxes and transferring the cost of some or all waste management services to a monthly bill. A variable-rate utility would provide additional incentive for people to reduce the amount of waste they put in their black garbage cart, allow the City to build a sustainable funding model, and extend the life of the Landfill. The variable fee-for service model for garbage collection includes charges based on cart size or collection frequency, not weight.

“Because waste services can also vary by household, it makes sense to consider charging utility fees in a way similar to water and electricity. An expanded waste utility could provide residents with more control over the amount they pay, by reducing the amount of waste they throw in their black cart or garbage bin - extending the life of the landfill,” says Brenda Wallace, Director of Environmental and Corporate Initiatives. “We put almost 100,000 tonnes into the landfill every year, but more than 75% could be diverted through programs like recycling and composting.”

Wallace says research conducted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (2013) found that waste utility models can improve waste diversion rates by up to 40%. A successful waste diversion program is critical to deferring the closure of the landfill. The costs to close the existing landfill and establish a new landfill are estimated at $26 million and $100 million respectively.

The community has set a target of diverting 70% of our waste from the landfill. This means that 70% of waste in Saskatoon will be reused, recycled or composted. In 2016, only 22% of waste was being diverted through programs such as the single and multi-unit residential recycling programs. This is the second lowest diversion rate when benchmarked against other Canadian cities.

The expanded Waste Services Utility was identified within the Waste Diversion Opportunities report presented to Council in May 2017. Outcomes from this report will be the focus of community discussions planned for the fall.

The Waste Service Utility Design Options report can be found on saskatoon.ca/wastediversion.

This expansion of the waste services utility supports the Strategic Goal of Environmental Leadership including the four-year priority to promote and facilitate city-wide composting and recycling and the long-term strategy to eliminate the need for a new landfill; It also supports the Strategic Goal of Asset and Financial Sustainability by reducing reliance on residential property taxes and setting long term sustainable rates.