Federal funding request proposed for city-owned organics processing facility
City Administration will present an approval report to the Tuesday, January 9 meeting of the Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services Committee (EU&CS) to seek federal funding for a city-owned organics processing facility.
“After early analysis, there are strong indications that building our own organics processing facility is the most cost-effective option in terms of value for residents and benefit for the City,” says Brendan Lemke, Director of Water & Waste Operations. “We’re recommending an application to the Low Carbon Economy Challenge Fund (LCECF), which would cover up to 50 per cent of costs if our application is approved.”
The LCECF aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and generate clean growth. Food and yard waste buried in the landfill releases pollution including methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. A city-owned organics processing facility eliminates the release of pollution and instead will create compost that is safe to use in gardens and yards.
A city-owned organics processing facility could also result in lower processing costs when compared with a third-party processing contract. As Lemke notes, federal funding would significantly lower the initial investment cost for the facility.
The city-wide curbside organics (green cart) program launched in May 2023. In 2020, Green Prairie Environmental Ltd. (GPE) was awarded a contract to process organics materials, however, GPE has not fulfilled their obligations under the organics processing contract. As a result, the City requires a new long-term strategy for processing curbside organics. A future decision report will include details on the funding strategy, the facility and its location and stakeholder engagement plans.
More than 17,000 tonnes of organic waste have successfully been diverted from the landfill since the green cart program launch. Organic waste is being composted by the program’s interim processing contractor, Loraas, and not landfilled unless contaminated. The green cart program met diversion projections within the first seven months of the program. The Solid Waste Reduction and Diversion Plan projected green carts would divert 15,000 to 22,000 tonnes per year. To learn more about the green cart program, visit saskatoon.ca/greencart.