The City of Saskatoon has revealed the proposed cost of its new garbage utility which is set to launch in January.
The city is switching to a monthly utility bill, instead of having residents pay for garbage collection on property taxes.
As part of the change, residents will have the choice between three size of garbage bins: The existing large (360 litres), medium (240L) and a small (120L – 135L) black cart.
Under the proposed plan heading to city committee on Sept. 5, the small bin would cost $3.73, medium $7.05 and large $10.58. A process for property managers and condo boards to manage bulk requests is being developed.
A flat fee of $9.92 will be charged to all residents with curbside pickup until cart swaps are completed. Residents can begin requesting smaller bins in early January with delivery expected sometime in the spring.
The city says the variable cart options will encourage reduction of waste by providing financial incentives for waste diversion.
According to the city, other communities that use similar approaches have seen their waste diversion rates increase by five to 17 per cent,
Garbage collection will remain biweekly year round, largely due to the city launching its green bin program last spring.