Over 3,000 tonnes of compostable material diverted from Saskatoon dump

The City of Saskatoon said participation in the new green cart program is increasing as 3,123 tonnes of organic waste was collected for the month of May.

The green cart usage rate in the city averaged 66 per cent for the month, hitting 75 per cent in the final week.

It was noted that the black cart use rate sits at about 77 per cent historically.

1:29 Are you familiar with the Green Cart program?

The city also addressed a social media post about a green cart fire, saying that it hadn’t received any reports of a fire, and that while organic materials that break down create heat, nothing approved for disposal in a green cart would create enough heat to start a fire.

It was noted that things like residential fire pit ashes, cigarette butts, batteries, compressed gas and other hazardous substances could pose a risk if they were improperly put into a green cart.

The city also stressed that only BPI-certified compostable bags can be used in the bins, adding that 1.3 per cent of green cart collections needed to be diverted to the landfill due to contamination.

A full list of accepted items is on the City of Saskatoon’s green cart website.