City Explores Options For Developing a City-Wide Organics Program

Today, in a report to the Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services, City Administration highlighted opportunities to divert organics from the landfill.

“Every year, 32% of all material put into our regional landfills is organic food and yard waste. And, organics still make up 58% of our single family residential garbage.” says Brenda Wallace, Director of Environmental and Corporate Initiatives. “If we want to reach our target of diverting 70% of our waste from the landfill, organics represents our single biggest opportunity.”

Wallace says 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 diversion of organics 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. Preliminary results from a recent Waste and Recycling Survey completed by Insightrix in July 2017 indicate that 79% of residents strongly or somewhat support city-wide food and yard waste (Green Cart) collection for all households.

The Green Cart Program has grown significantly since 2015, with 11% of single-family households now subscribing. However, the current Program is financially unsustainable and is not likely to divert an amount significant enough to influence the City's waste diversion targets to sustain the landfill.

The Organic Opportunities Report can be found on saskatoon.ca/wastediversion.

Exploring options for a city-wide organics program 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 and to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions tied to City operations. In addition, it supports the Waste Diversion Performance Target to divert 70% of waste by 2023.