City of Saskatoon collecting input from businesses about recycling, composting program

Sixty-eight per cent of garbage generated in Saskatoon comes from the business and industrial sectors and much of that waste could be diverted through either compost or recycling, according to the city. 

The city is hosting a workshop today to gather input from businesses about diverting and reducing waste on Tuesday. 

Seventy-five per cent of businesses do recycle in some fashion but less deal with organic waste appropriately, according to Amber Weckworth, the city's manager of education and environmental performance. 

"There's less opportunities right now for businesses to deal with organics waste," Weckworth told CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning. 

She said businesses that do have composting programs either do it themselves on-site themselves or have already found a service to haul the composted materials on their own dime.

Weckworth said the city conducted an audit of waste generated by industry and business. Organic waste accounted for 25 per cent of everything in the landfill and much of it was food waste, while construction and demolition waste accounted for 14 per cent of garbage. 

The construction and demolition waste in particular is a focus for the city going forward, according to Weckworth. 

"We're trying to make more options at the landfill where businesses will be able to take their construction waste," Weckworth said. "[We're] still in the planning phases so I can't exactly speak to what that facility will look like but it will be an important part of the strategy." 

City officials will be at the Sandman Hotel's Mendel Room between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. today to gather input from businesses about their preferences for recycling or composting programs.