YORKTON - A pilot project to collect organic materials at the curbside will be undertaken in Yorkton in 2023.
“Environmental Services are continually evaluating the programs and services they offer and Solid Waste Management is one of these programs. As part of this evaluation a trend in landfill tonnage volumes has been observed. From 2011 to 2021 the city has observed a 57 per cent increase of in-city refuse during the months of May to October relative to the rest of the year,” explained Lyndon Hicks – Solid Waste and Environmental Programs Manager, with the city at the regular meeting of Yorkton Council Monday.
“During the summer of 2022 multiple waste audits were completed of in-city refuse which found that organic material (yard and food waste) made up 52 per cent of the total refuse by weight.”
The trend is of concern for three main reasons, said Hicks.
*The material is taking up valuable space in a landfill cell which has a replacement cost of approximately $5 million dollars.
*Methane is produced when organic materials decompose in a landfill. Without oxygen, decomposition happens anaerobically which means that methane is produced. Methane is a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide and contributes to climate change.
*With proper management organics can be turned into compost which is a usable product.
A residential refuse survey was conducted in the spring of 2021 with questions pertaining to a potential organics program. Of the respondents, 64 per cent voted in favor of an organics collection program with an additional 26 per cent responding ‘maybe depending on cost’, noted Hicks.
“The city has also received several resident inquiries regarding interest in a curbside organics program,” he said.
Currently, the city offers a free yard waste organics drop off service at two locations within the city (RecyclAbility Enterprises and the city Landfill).
“Interestingly enough we have observed increasing uptake in this program with grass and leaves tonnage increasing by 280 per cent since 2019,” said Hicks. “. . . While this progress is encouraging … we are still witnessing landfill tonnages in May-October increasing drastically, much of which remains residential organics.”
The pilot project approved Monday will include operation from April 13 to Nov. 3, with 400 homes in two areas of the city involved.
Accepted products will include leaves, grass clippings, garden waste, and household food waste (“scrape the plate”).
“Scrape the plate” is an easy to understand approach which will hopefully result in reduced contamination. Simply put, if it can be eaten, grown or composted, it can be disposed of in the organic cart.
It will exclude diapers, tree branches, plastic packaging or plastic bags.
Many jurisdictions across that country have been implementing organics programs for over 10 years. In Saskatchewan, the majority of larger municipalities have implemented some form of residential organics programs, primarily in the form of voluntary drop-off sites, noted Hicks. Regina and Saskatoon are the first sites in the province to launch a city-wide mandatory organics program which will occur in 2023.
There will be no costs to the 400 residents that participate in the pilot project study.
“Environmental Services will incur a cost of approximately $30,000 for the pilot project program delivery. These funds will come from utility reserves,” said Hicks.
Council was unanimous in approving the pilot project.
