All Regina residents can expect green carts to be added to their homes in 2023.
The new food and yard waste service will begin rolling out in late 2023 and will act much like the garbage and recycling services that are currently in place in the city.
The bin largely used for compost was in a pilot project for the last two years in a number of communities around Regina.
As preparations for the launch continue to progress, Regina city council is now considering how residents will pay for the expanded trio of curbside waste services.
Currently, residents pay in different ways for each of the two existing curbside collection services. A user fee on the city’s utility bill is charged for the blue cart recycling service, while the brown cart service for garbage is paid for through property taxes.
Four options were presented to city council for consideration.
The first two options involve a combination of user fees and property taxes, while the third option is that the costs of all three services are covered by property taxes. The fourth option involves the user fees funding all three services.
As of Thursday, administration is recommending that garbage be no longer funded by property taxes, but rather that all three collection services be funded by user fees that appear on city utility bills.
If approved, the user fee approach would allow residents to select from two garbage cart sizes: the size widely used today at 360 litres or a smaller 240-litre option available for a lower fee.
“The recommended funding policy is designed to encourage waste reduction and waste diversion,” the City of Regina said in a press release. “Residents who waste less, pay less. User fees on utility bills also provide residents with clearer information about the costs of waste services.”
The Curbside Waste Collection Funding Policy will be considered by the executive committee on Wednesday, Oct. 19. The policy must be considered and approved by city council at a future meeting before taking effect.
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