The City of Saskatoon is looking more closely at a city-owned and operated organics processing facility, rather than contracting this service. Three options were brought by Administration to the Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services Committee and Councillors voted to move forward with a city-owned organics processing facility and compost depot.

Right now, Saskatoon’s organics processing is under a short-term contract with Loraas Disposal North. That’s because Green Prairie Environmental had been awarded a contract to process the organics materials, but wasn’t able to fulfill their obligations because the R.M. of Corman Park’s council rejected its application to build a composting facility at its landfill south of Saskatoon. The other options were to continue the way things are now, with all organics taken to a third-party processor while the city continues with the compost depot, or to have a contractor do both.

Councillors were told that the city-owned option would see savings of around $1.5 million per year, compared to the contracting options. General Manager of Utilities and Environment, Angela Gardiner, says contractors go by tonnage, so as more material is collected when the City begins multi-unit organics collection, the cost would go up, but it wouldn’t if it was city-run. As well, she expects while contractors would be working for profit, the city would be working on a cost-recovery basis.

This isn’t written in stone, though. City Council still has to approve this option and there will be a public hearing at some point. Administration had applied for federal funding for the organics project, but recently heard back that it was denied.