Yorkton highlights recycling program, helping local residents retain work

Residents in Yorkton are embracing their unique curbside recycling program that’s been operating in the community for over a decade.

While other cities contract out to for-profit private companies, Yorkton has partnered with RecyclAbility Enterprises – a department under SaskAbilities – along with Prairie Harvest Employment Program (PHEP) to hire workers locally.

“The [recycling] bags on curbside are collected by Prairie Harvest Employment Program (PHEP),” explained Lyndon Hicks, solid waster and environmental programs manager for the City of Yorkton.

“The material then comes to SaskAbilities where it's sorted with SaskAbilities staff as well as the Prairie Harvest Employment Program."

Aside from helping individuals who face challenges with seeking and retaining employment, Lyndon said the program brings other benefits to those involved, along with residents utilizing the services.

"There’s a couple main benefits to it. First [are] the social aspects of the program, working with the youth and the different agencies," Hicks stated.

“From a resident’s perspective is the cost effectiveness of the program. Our program compared to other centres is cheap. The levy residents pay is significantly lower. The other benefit is the weekly collection where residents have the option for their recycling to be picked up weekly, which is quite unique as most centres offer bi-weekly collection.”

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Currently a $12 recycling fee is charged to residents’ utility bills, along with a curbside recycling cost of $6 per month, which goes towards paying both agencies - $2 to PHEP and $4 to RecyclAbility Enterprises for sorting and baling recycled materials.

Sandra Bilan, senior supervisor of RecyclAbility Enterprises in Yorkton, said the program has helped people from SaskAbilities find permanent jobs.

"We've actually hired people from the Prairie Harvest program to work in our facility,” she said. “They are amazing young people, they're good, hard workers.”

When going through the bales of recycling bags, she pointed out some common mistakes people make when recycling used materials.

“What people should be mindful of is making sure their product is coming in clean,” explained Bilan. “Let’s say if you have a margarine container and you left some margarine in it, please rinse it out because stuff like that, when it comes to our facility, still gets thrown to the landfill. Same principle with your tin, the labels should be off, and they should be rinsed out otherwise it will go to the landfill.”

Bilan said she hopes the community can continue doing its part in helping the city contribute to a sustainable future.

"The residents of Yorkton are doing an amazing job of recycling, it’s coming in really good,” Bilan expressed.

“Yes, we still do get garbage and stuff in so we're trying to bring that percentage down. We would like it at the two per cent, not at the 18 per cent that we currently sit at. We're just asking residents to do their due diligence and make sure it comes to us all nice and clean. It helps us out."