Saskatoon—finding the right composting mix

Saskatoon's waste audits, done in 2006, revealed that organics (yard waste, food waste, wood, and other organics) made up 51.5% of the residential waste stream. These results reinforced the need for Saskatoon to work on organic waste diversion.

The City of Saskatoon Environmental Services Branch (ESB) has had some sort of compost drop-off depot program since 1999. The number of sites and their hours of operation varied. The program expanded significantly in 2007, with the addition of a second permanent site moving to being open every day until October, without closing over the summer months as in the past. Over 3000 tonnes were collected in 2007; and 4200 tonnes in 2008.

In 2009, the depots began accepting non-elm wood from the public and commercial firms, and total intake quadrupled to 17,500 tonnes of organics dropped off by 26,200 vehicles.

The City also runs a subscription grass and leaf collection program, where residents pay $40 a year for bi-weekly curbside collection of grass and leaves May through early November. 1600 households took advantage of the opportunity; 530 tonnes were collected in 2009, an increase from 309 tonnes in 2008.

The City maintains both depots, spending about two days a week at each to build and maintain the piles. Wood waste is ground by a commercial grinder; the wood chips are needed as the "browns" for the compost piles. Christmas tree collection also adds wood chips (94 tonnes from Christmas 2008).

The finished compost is screened by a commercial company and used by the Parks department. While only about 60 cubic metres were used in 2008, fully 700 cubic metres were used in 2009, in projects such as a raised garden bed at Aden Bowman Collegiate, Parks department nursery beds, and slope stabilization.

In 2010, the compost depots will extend their hours of operation from 8 hours per day to 10 (see our Depots page).

Environmental Services also has $7.5 million allocated for the construction of a composting facility of some type, as the city moves to a green bin (collecting organics at the curb) program.

The City hasn't neglected the backyard compost sector either. From 2000 to 2004, and again in 2008, they've offered subsidized compost bins for sale. Over the years, they've sold more than 13,000 backyard bins to Saskatoon citizens. In between times, the City has offered a $10 rebate to residents who buy a retail compost bin. They plan another bin sale event in 2010.

Through the SWRC, the City has trained community volunteers called Master Composters that provide composting programming when needed. Master Composters staff composting displays and conduct composting workshops.

(Source: February 2010 WasteWatch)

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