Saskatoon to provide low-income waste utility subsidy

Changes to waste collection Saskatoon residents will now be charged a monthly fee based on the size of their garbage bin.

Saskatoon’s City Council has approved a waste utility subsidy of $100 per year for low-income households.

The subsidy is expected to offset the cost for residents as the city moves waste collection from a property tax-based funding model to a waste utility charge, according to a news release.

According to documents submitted to City Council, the city estimates the monthly cost of the solid waste utility will be about $23 per month, or around $276 per year.

The city hopes the new funding model will lead to a reduction in household waste, since each household pays based on how much solid waste it produces.

For the low income renters of Saskatoon, however, the move could effectively move the cost of waste collection from landlords to tenants.

“While we know that funding our solid waste collection services through a utility model will have a positive impact on our overall waste reduction and diversion efforts, we also recognize that changes to how municipal services are paid for requires households to adjust their spending,” said Angela Gardiner, general manager of utilities and environment.

“By introducing a bridging subsidy in 2024, we can hopefully help ease the transition of this one aspect of household costs to those who most need it while our community adapts to our new funding model.”

Further information will be brought before council later next year, including eligibility details and timelines.

The subsidy is expected to help 1,000 to 1,500 households a year.