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CITY LAUNCHES ENVIRONMENTAL ONLINE REPORTING TOOL; 2014 REPORT ON INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT RELEASED

For immediate release: October 13, 2015 - 9:06 am
CP15-145

The City of Saskatoon today launched a new online tool, ’Our Environment’, to report on the status of Saskatoon’s environment. Through this digital tool, citizens can monitor the status of 12 selected indicators reflecting the City’s corporate targets and representing key aspects of Saskatoon’s environment – air, land, water and waste.

“The online reporting tool builds on the baseline data from the City’s first ‘Our Environment’ report, released in 2014, and identifies trends of improving, stable or needs improvement,” stated Brenda Wallace, Director of Environmental & Corporate Initiatives. “Additional indicators will be included in future online updates, and new data will be posted as it is made available.”

The next full ‘Our Environment’ report will be prepared in 2017.

Also released today is the Integrated Waste Management Annual Report for 2014. The Report will be received by the Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services and provides more detailed analysis of specific indicators for Waste Diversion and Landfilled Waste from ‘Our Environment’.

Key findings from ‘Our Environment’ and the ‘2014 Integrated Waste Management Annual Report’ include:

Waste Diversion: Saskatoon’s waste diversion rate for 2014 is 22.5%.

  • The compost program contributes 13% toward the waste diversion rate. The curbside recycling program contributes 7%, and the recycling depots contribute 2%.
  • Installation of the ‘Efficient Waste System’ began in 2014, and will be launched in January 2016 with new collection routes and schedules to save fuel, operator time and improve overall service for residents.
  • 1.1 million curbside recycling carts were emptied in 2014 and 10,724 tonnes of materials were recycled.
  • The contamination rate (garbage placed in carts) for curbside recycling was 4% in 2014.
  • The multi-unit recycling program launched in October 2014 and approximately 207 tonnes of material was collected.
  • The Leaves and Grass Subscription Program (green cart) served 3,900 households in 2014, an increase of 30% over 2013, contributing to the diversion of organic waste to compost depots rather than the landfill.
  • More than 51,000 vehicle visits were made to the two compost depots in 2014, including 40,000 visits made by residents. An estimated 22,000 tonnes of compostable material was managed at the depots.

Landfilled Waste: The amount of landfilled residential waste per capita is 249 kilograms in 2014.

  • 2.8 million garbage carts are emptied each year by the City of Saskatoon with 99.9% collection reliability.
  • More than 86,000 vehicles delivered loads to the Landfill.
  • Approximately 168,300 tonnes of material was accepted at the Landfill.
  • The amount of garbage collected is reducing every year.

Air Quality: Saskatoon’s air quality has been showing a slow downward trend over the past decade, with the average Air Quality Index ranking as Good over the past 5 years.

  • A net reduction in greenhouse gas of 29,027 tonnes can be attributed to the curbside recycling program in 2014 (includes 387 tonnes from diesel fuel used in recycling trucks).
  • A net reduction in greenhouse gas of 448 tonnes can be attributed to the multi-unit recycling program which launched in October 2014.
  • Approximately 5,000 tonnes of CO2e was avoided through the approximately 22,000 tonnes of compostable material managed at the two compost depots.

Transportation Choices: The percentage of residents choosing to walk, cycle or take transit to work has been relatively stable between 11.5% and 14.4 % for the past two decades.

Water Quality: The Water Quality Index has consistently ranked water quality both upstream and downstream of Saskatoon as Good since 2005.

New Development Investment: The amount and distribution of new development investment has been added as a baseline indicator and illustrates that investment in development activities are balanced across the city.

The ‘Our Environment’ online reporting tool is available for viewing at www.saskatoon.ca/ourenvironment. The 2014 Integrated Waste Annual Report is available for viewing at www.saskatoon.ca/ourenvironment under “Waste”

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

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