Saskatoon mandatory green bins arriving in spring, city moves to bi-weekly garbage collection

Throughout March and April, Saskatoon homeowners are scheduled to receive their green carts — designed for food and yard waste.

Saskatoon is rolling out a city-wide green bin program and reducing curbside garbage pickup.

Throughout March and April, homeowners are scheduled to receive their green carts — designed for food and yard waste.

Brendan Lemke, the city’s director of water and waste operations, said 57 per cent of what’s thrown in Saskatoon garbage bins can be composted.

“Using the green cart, we’re going to be able to divert things like yard waste and food waste that would otherwise end up in the landfill,” Lemke told reporters, while displaying the new green bins.

The new green bin will arrive with a small pail, used for inside kitchen waste, before transferring it into the cart.

The program is not optional, and residents cannot opt-out.

The fee for the new green cart program will show up on utility bills, costing the average homeowner $6.73.

Starting in May, the green cart will begin biweekly pickup.

The green bin waste will be taken to a third-party processing facility that turns the waste into compost, according to the city.

Garbage pickup will remain biweekly throughout the summer after the green cart program begins.

Some people are already using a green bin in Saskatoon. Those residents can continue using their green carts, but can expect to receive the kitchen pail in March.

The city estimates the green bin program will divert 20,000 tonnes, or about 3,300 garbage truck loads, from the landfill every year.