Saskatoon, Can., Looking for Ways to Boost Diversion and Extend its Landfill’s Life

Two possible models are proposed. The first would be a flat rate system in which everyone is charged the same fee; it could be implemented as soon as next year. The other involves a variable rate model based on usage, using either cart size or collection frequency to set the rate. Such a system could be implemented no sooner than 2020. The report allays concerns the city might move to a system based on weight.

Costs to establish a system in which trash is weighed are too high, Wallace said. She also assured residents that any user-fee system would not entail charges on top of property taxes, which currently pay for waste management. The recycling programs introduced for homes earlier this decade are paid for through a flat fee and provincial funding.

The report says if the city moves to a user-fee system, referred to in city documents as a “waste utility,” about $8.9 million would be removed from property taxes. That’s about $68 a year for an average household.