Saskatoon’s new Material Recovery Centre to open this summer

Saskatoon’s new Material Recovery Centre is set to open to the public Aug. 15, according to a report to be presented to city council this week.

Brendan Lemke, Saskatoon’s water and waste operations director, said nearly half the cost of the $37-million project was picked up by the federal and provincial governments. The City of Saskatoon’s share was around $19 million.

The centre, located on Valley Road near the entrance to the city landfill, has been in the works for the past several years. Right now, Lemke said, the finishing touches are being completed.

Lemke said the location was chosen specifically to help build awareness about alternatives as people make use of the landfill.

“Not everything that we bring to the landfill to throw away is garbage,” Lemke said. “We want to try and reduce the amount of garbage that’s accumulating there.”

Lemke said the new facility is intended to divert material that would otherwise be added to the landfill.

“We have talked about that long-term waste diversion target of 70 per cent. This could contribute about 4.5 per cent of that 70 per cent in the first year of operation, so 2024,” he explained.

For comparison, the city’s curbside organics program is expected to reach about a 12 per cent diversion rate.

The centre will accept household electronics, batteries, concrete, brick, tires, mattresses, box springs, paper and cardboard. There will also be an expanded area accepting used oil and antifreeze, an expanded metals area, and a separate location to drop off elm wood.

The city is also working on a permanent home for the household hazardous waste program.

“We’re also looking at, in the future, being able to divert textiles and clothing. Things like that,” added Lemke.

Unlike at the nearby landfill, there won’t be any cost to drop off most of the items accepted at the centre. In some cases, however, Lemke said fees couldn’t be avoided.

“There’s going to be a few (items), like the concrete and brick, where there’s a trucking fee that we need to pay, so we’re just going to recover a nominal fee that’s far less than what you would normally pay on a per-tonne or per-kilogram rate at the entrance,” Lemke explained.

Council will still need to approve amendments to the city’s waste bylaw to reflect changes in materials and disposal rates at its meeting this week.

While the centre is expected to be open to the public Aug. 15, the official grand opening is scheduled for Sept. 14.

“We’re going to be doing a bit of a soft opening ahead of time so that we can commission the site,” Lemke said.