About 2,800 homes in Regina are going to be receiving a letter from the city saying they have been selected to take part in a one-year pilot project involving the collection of food and yard waste. 

The pilot will be used to seek feedback from residents on collection schedules, education materials and waste sorting practices prior to a city-wide implementation in 2023.

Those who have been selected for the project will receive a green cart from the city which they dispose of food scraps, yard waste and soiled paper. Kurtis Doney, the city’s director of water, waste and environmental services, said they will be composting the waste with a facility set up at the landfill.

“The program allows the City of Regina to move towards increasing our diversion rate towards 65 per cent to meet city council’s goals,” explained Doney on Monday afternoon.

“50 per cent of our garbage is made up of food and yard waste. So by implementing a food and yard waste program, we can divert a significant amount of waste away from the landfill.”

It will include year-round weekly food and yard waste collection, biweekly garbage collection and biweekly recycling collection.

Doney added that pilot participants will be educated throughout the next month about the program and how it will function. He expects the program will begin the week of September 21.

Once the project has been completed, data and results from the project will be brought forward to city council with a final implementation plan in 2021.

View the map below courtesy of the City of Regina to see which areas have been chosen for the program highlighted in dark green with grey borders.

(With files from Moises Canales)