SWRC Update: Waste Assessments for Businesses

SWRC Update: Waste Assessments for Businesses

About two thirds of waste in landfills comes from non-residential sources, yet most efforts at reducing waste are directed at the public. This has certainly been the case for us at SWRC. Part of the problem might be that business and institutional waste is very diverse and that some waste streams have no obvious solution. The opposite is also true – a quick glance at Saskatoon’s 2012 waste characterization report shows that more than 70 percent of non-residential waste could be recycled or composted.

In thinking about how we could help, SWRC has decided to start a Waste Consulting Service,  offering to do waste characterization studies and to provide options to businesses and institutions for diverting waste from landfill. We’ve hired Moe Al-Mahdawe to run this service (you might have already met him if you were at the ReForum conference). Moe has just finished up two pilot projects to test out the process and has started to identify organizations that might find the service useful.

Saskatchewan has more recycling and composting options than ever before and it’s time for businesses to take advantage of them. It’s time to put a dent in that two thirds.