Regina council votes to move garbage, recycling and yard waste services to user-pay model

Regina city council has decided that its waste services will operate on a user-pay model. 

Currently, the fee for recycling (collected in blue carts) shows up on utility bills while regular garbage collection (gathered in brown carts) falls under property taxes. Yard waste and food waste will be collected in green bins as part of a new service that will begin next fall.

Wednesday's decision by city council means fees associated with recycling, yard waste and garbage collection will be displayed on a resident's utility bill starting on Jan. 1, 2024.

City staff say the average household will see a $39 increase to their utility bills as a result of the model change.

The goal is to increase how much waste is diverted away from the city's landfill. 

Since 2015, Regina's waste diversion rate has remained static at about 20 per cent.

On Wednesday, many members of council said that needs to change.

"This user fee system is to get us on track," said Ward 2 Coun. Bob Hawkins. "We simply cannot just go on throwing things in the garbage that need to be recycled."

The city's goal is to increase the diversion rate to 65 per cent.

A staff report says the user-pay funding model for waste has been "shown to improve diversion and reduction by up to 16 per cent."

The move to a user-pay model would also prolong the life of the city landfill, help to lower carbon emissions and meet a key component of the city's Energy & Sustainability Framework, the report says.

"We have about 20-some years left there. So we know … this diversion with the green cart that will extend that," said Ward 4 Coun. Lori Bresciani.

"We know that we're moving in the right direction here."

The city estimates that a new landfill would cost $50 million to $100 million. 

How it will work

As part of the program, residents will be able to choose between the current 360-litre garbage cart or a smaller 240-litre cart for a lesser fee.

If households choose the smaller 240-litre garbage cart, their yearly fees would be $193.45 per year, which also includes the costs associated with collection and processing.

Choosing the larger garbage cart will cost $284.70 per year.

Approximately 67,000 households are provided with recycling and garbage collection services by the City of Regina. 

Low income rebate

As part of Wednesday's decision, council voted 6-4 to approve an amendment that will apply a fixed utility rebate to all households with a waste/water utility account that are considered to be low income. 

Mayor Sandra Masters and Couns. Hawkins, Lori Bresciani and Landon Mohl (Ward 10) voted against the amendment. 

The rebate program is income-based and will use the Statistics Canada before-tax low income cut-off from the most recent year in order to determine who qualifies for the $54.75 per year rebate. It is expected to cost $500,000 per year, which will be financed by an additional $7 annual charge for residential utility customers. 

It was a departure from city administration's recommendation, which called or a rebate only to low-income households where at least one member is a senior citizen or a person living with a disability. 

That would've only costed $100,000 per year and required no additional fees. 

City administration said the policy adopted by council would be inconsistent with its existing water utility rebate program and could require additional funding for the administration of the program.

Staff also said offering two different rebates on the same bill would be confusing for residents.