The State of Composting in Saskatchewan

SWRC tries to keep up with recycling and composting in Saskatchewan communities (see our database). Here's what's been happening on the composting front:

Our database lists 56 communities that have composting options available to the public. (If your community has a program we've missed, please let us know). In addition, some communities and institutions have composting operations that don't accept material from residents.

The most common collection method for organic materials is the public drop-off. Fifty-three of the communities listed have some type of collection depot. Thirteen programs include a pick up service (some communities both pick up and have a depot). Pickup frequencies vary from twice a year (Kipling, Luseland, Shellbrook) to twice a week in summer (Assiniboia).

Most drop-off sites are located at landfills or transfer stations for ease of maintenance and supervision. Some communities, like North Battleford and Radisson, have made collection sites nearer to the residents to encourage participation. North Battleford offers five drop-off sites within the city, but only during the fall months.

Saskatoon's two staffed composting depots are open daily from the end of April to early November. The depots have been gaining in popularity with both residents and landscaping businesses. In 2008, the equivalent of 140,000 bags of materials were dropped off, more than double last year's totals.

Public drop-off sites are a simple and inexpensive way to collect organic materials. They can get contaminated with non-compostable materials (mostly by plastic bags, but your imagination is probably also correct). Staffing the site is one way to monitor what is being dropped off. Saskatoon has gone this route, but it does add significantly to the expense. Kindersley is dabbling with surveillance cameras (sad but true). Pick-up service is also more expensive than unstaffed drop-offs, but there is more opportunity to monitor what is collected and unwanted materials can be left at the curb.

All the programs collect leaves and grass clippings. Nine of them also collect kitchen scraps (including Rosetown, Nipawin, Mossbank and Ogema), although all of them exclude meat and dairy products. None of the communities accept wood or branches at this point.

Prince Albert and Assiniboia specify that the material must be put at the curb in bags. Delisle and Outlook ask residents to provide a container that can be emptied at the curb. Swift Current has mandated that consumers use biodegradable bags for their compost pick up. The cost of these specialized bags has decreased participation in the composting program. Many of the drop-off programs avoid the expense of having staff de-bag materials by asking residents to do it themselves.

Regina has a compost pile, but it is not open for public drop-off (due to contamination concerns), nor do they collect from households. It is used to accommodate other sources of compostable waste, such as that from livestock bedding at Agribition. Yorkton started composting this year and have, for the moment, restricted their compost sources to those generated by their internal operations and by local businesses like stockyards. (See our updated Yorkton story.)

So, what happens to the finished compost? Many communities have not been concerned about getting rid of the compost, because the pile does not take up too much space. By their nature, compost piles shrink in volume as the materials break down, generally by 50-75 percent.

Of those communities who do harvest the finished compost, most use it for their internal operations. Saskatoon's Parks Department has found the compost made at the drop-off sites to be a valuable resource (they do require it to be screened before use).

(Source: November 2008 WasteWatch)

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