Regina is working to increase waste diversion in an effort to extend the life of the city’s landfill.
In 2011, city council set a target to divert 65 per cent of residential waste by 2020. Now within two years of that date, the city needs to make some changes to meet that goal.
Two recommendations are being presented to the public works and infrastructure committee.
One recommends a new funding policy for curbside waste services. Right now, residents pay for curbside collection through a monthly fee included in the water bill. That fee would be eliminated and instead, collection would be based on the size of garbage for bins through a monthly fee – encouraging waste diversion from landfills.
The second recommendation is making biweekly garbage permanent in the winter months. According to a recent online survey, 61 per cent of residents agreed to permanent biweekly garbage pickup.
“The funding policy has been designed to motivate waste reduction and diversion behaviours and what we want to be able to do is reward those residents that have worked really hard to divert as much waste as possible,” said Lisa Legault, director of solid waste with the city. “We also want to provide an incentive for others who need motivation to reduce the amount of waste they are producing.”
The recommendations will be forwarded to council on June 25 for final approval.
