Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council

The Waste Wizards are our second group of summer students.

Please join us in thanking Prince George (he/him), Sarah (she/her) and Zinal Patel (she/her) for all their work this summer! We also had Atharv Govardhan helping out as a new mascot!* Wait, did we ruin the illusion? I mean, just kidding, we only have three people on this team...

The Waste Wizards attend community events to promote waste diversion initiatives on behalf of the City of Saskatoon - Your Local Government. They chat about all things waste, including recycling, composting, hazardous waste disposal, garbage cart changes, and the new Material Recovery Center.

The Waste Reduction Wagon, a mobile education set-up, has interactive games to challenge your knowledge about waste diversion opportunities. The students' goal is to help the people of Saskatoon "Put Waste in the Right Place".

Find them to say hi while they work their last two events of the season:
Friday Aug 23rd - White Buffalo Youth Lodge Back to School Backpack Giveaway & Carnival
Saturday Aug 24th - Rosewood Community Association Family Fun Day and Market in the Park

*The new Waste Wizard mascot attended select events to promote the Waste Wizard app, a digital collection calendar and search tool that Saskatoonians can conveniently have at their fingers' tips.

Circulr, an Ontario business, facilitates the reuse of glass jars for grocery product packaging. Their system allows consumers to return glass jars of participating products. The jars are then sanitized locally and returned to the producer for them to refill and use again!

To effectively reduce waste, it's crucial to follow the principles of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, in that order.

Even if single use packaging is recyclable, it's still better to have reusable alternatives.

What do you think of this option? Would you like to see something similar offered in Saskatchewan?

https://circulr.ca/

To learn more about why reuse is so important read our blog titled "Why relying so heavily on recycling isn’t the answer": https://www.saskwastereduction.ca/blog/green-living/2023/12/14/why-relying-so-heavily-on-recycling-isn%E2%80%99t-the-answer/

Happy Birthday Deirdre!!!

Deirdre shared some popular thoughts among sustainability focused folks during gift giving seasons:

"I do not like to receive presents, nor give presents, really. All the rigmarole of shopping and wrapping and delivering seems wasteful to me. I would rather give my friends and family the gift of time. I like to let them choose something we can do together and then make that happen. It could be a movie night, spa treatment, restaurant meal, camping trip, etc. In cases where I cannot be with them, then I like to send gift cards."

We hope you get lots of quality time with your favourite people today and feel appreciated and loved because you sure are!!

Our board member and friend Launne Kolla has started a business with her husband to help people who want to do the right thing.

Reroute is a Saskatoon pickup service for unwanted goods and recyclables. They collect things that there are recycling programs for (but can't go in the blue bin), household hazardous waste, beverage recycling and donations. They plan to give back in many ways, from specific drives, donating beverage recycling refunds to charities and delivering donations directly to people in need. They serve both residential and business customers.

Most of you know that certain things shouldn’t go in the garbage but don’t have time to research where and when each item is accepted or to do multiple drop offs.

More info: www.reroutesk.ca

Happy Birthday Bobbie!!

Based on what they like to give as gifts we highly recommend becoming friends with Bobbie:

"My favourite low-waste gift to give is handmade jewelry, especially from secondhand pieces.

Lately, I've been really enjoying making resin crafts, so I buy secondhand molds, glitter, dyes, jewelry findings, and anything else I can find from Nefelibata Arts and Crafts, or other thrift stores. Then I make whatever catches my creativity and give most of it away! Most of my friends have gotten jewelry for their birthdays lately, and you know I'm making something extra fun for my own birthday!"

We're excited to see what you end up making for yourself! And we hope you get all of the well deserved compliments on your masterpiece all day!!

Help us welcome some of our summer students!

David Abad (he/him) & Dana Sproule (she/they) are the 2024 Recycling Ambassadors.

They promote the Used Oil and Antifreeze recycling program on behalf of Saskatchewan Association for Resource Recovery Corp. (SARRC) by traveling the province attending community events, car shows and large agricultural shows, as well as, visiting municipal offices and retailers of program materials to gauge public awareness and evaluate the program.

They will also help Cleanfarms Inc. with a waste audit of some of their program materials and have a small research project for Tire Stewardship of Saskatchewan.

If you see them in your community make sure to go say hi!

The Carton Council of Canada has a program where up to 15 organizations in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba can receive $2K each for recycling education efforts that include cartons.

The first fifteen organizations to sign up for the program will be eligible to receive $2,000 each by demonstrating their proactive recycling education efforts, featuring food and beverage cartons.

For more info: https://www.recyclecartons.ca/project/community-education-award-program/

Congratulations to all of our Waste Reduction Award Winners!

We're so grateful for all the work being done in Saskatchewan to reduce waste. Many thanks to each of our award winners and thank you to SaskTel for sponsoring the awards.

⭐ Acadia Construction Inc - Recycled 85,000 tonnes of concrete, asphalt, granite, and masonry products.

⭐ Affinity CU - Organized a Zero Waste Program for events that included providing compostable and recyclable materials to food vendors, staffing waste diversion stations, and innovating waste management strategies.

⭐ City of Saskatoon - Your Local Government and City of Regina | Municipal Government city-wide compost programs:
- Saskatoon - Launched in May, they collected 3,123 tonnes of organic waste in the first month. By the end of the year, more than 17,000 tonnes were diverted from the landfill.
- Regina - Launched in August, the participation rate was 64% in the first month, with residents diverting 4,784 tonnes of organic waste by the end of the year. We also gave a special mention to the City of Regina for creating Saskatchewan’s first Household Hazardous Materials Depot.

⭐ ReThink BioClean - Diverted 10,300 pounds of plastic from landfills in 2022 and 2023 with their Commercial Cleaning Liquid Refillery.

⭐ Argyle Elementary School and MacNeill Elementary School - Created guidelines for packing sustainable lunches, a recycling awareness campaign, a composting initiative, an upcycling art project, a plastic pollution awareness campaign, and Waste Audit and Reduction Plan.

Head to our website for more details about each award winner: https://www.saskwastereduction.ca/events/swrc/waste-reduction-awards/2023-waste-reduction-awards

Thank you to Timberwood Innovations for donating wood for the awards, and to Brandon of Morau Canada working out of the Saskatoon Makerspace for the lazer engraving!

Happy Birthday to our Executive Director Joanne!!

We asked her what gifts she likes to receive:

"My favourite gift to receive is homemade food. Not only because I enjoy eating :), but also because food is consumable. I don't have to decide where to keep it, when or if to use it or what to do with it when its life is over. Also homemade food is often given in reusable containers that I can wash and give back, sometimes filled with different food. It's a cycle...”

We hope your birthday brings lots of delicious homemade food and treats!

Our Executive Director helped answer a Gravelbourg resident's question of "Where does my recycling end up?"

Listen to this episode of the podcast "Good Question, Saskatchewan" to hear Joanne and other experts help answer the question: https://link.chtbl.com/ZazrPUWq

Spoiler alert: It's not a simple answer, but a great solution is to try to reduce as much as possible, minimizing the need for recycling.

Thanks for asking the question Darla!

Understanding how to effectively use and maintain your belongings is key to ensuring their longevity!

While many of us only refer to manuals when something goes wrong, reading them beforehand can actually help prevent issues from arising.

Some instructions not only guide you on how to use an item correctly but also provide valuable insights into its maintenance, which can reduce the chances of it breaking down prematurely!

To reduce waste, it's crucial to follow the principles of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, in that order. By focusing on proper use and maintenance, we can effectively Reduce the need to purchase new items when our current ones are still functional!

To compliment this, items also need to be designed and built to last, thus further minimizing waste.

Do you read your manuals??

We're very thankful for the continued support from Affinity CU! They have been instrumental in keeping these events going!

Reach out if you want to get involved with an existing Repair Cafe in your area or to help organize the first one in your community!

For more details about Repair Cafes in the province: https://www.saskwastereduction.ca/events/swrc/repair-cafe-saskatchewan

Earth Day is celebrated globally on April 22, a day where people come together across the world to celebrate and be grateful for our planet and the amazing natural resources we all benefit from.

When it comes to Earth Day and everyday, let’s think beyond recycling and think more about reusing and reducing waste right from the start.

That’s where the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council comes in with the Repair Cafés, which are held in communities across the Saskatchewan! At a Repair Café you’ll find local, skilled volunteers to help communities keep items out of the landfill!

Affinity is proud to sponsor this initiative to encourage a culture of repair and give items a new life and ultimately divert them from landfills. Learn more about these events: https://ow.ly/6wKj50R8Jl8

Join us April 20th & 21st from 11am - 5pm near the Food Terrace where the “Waste Wizards" will be onsite to answer all your waste, recycling and organics questions. Play their interactive games and learn what you can do to reduce your waste.

Plus, Student Action for a Sustainable Future (SASF) will be displaying student projects from Saskatoon Public Schools and Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools. Check out the amazing ideas of our youth put into action.

April 20th from 11am - 2pm spend $15 or more in the Food Terrace and present your receipt to receive a FREE reusable cutlery set while supplies last.

City of Saskatoon - Your Local Government Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council Loraas Disposal North Ltd. Cosmopolitan Industries Saskatchewan Environmental Society

Here's a win-win-win!
1. Get a rain barrel to start collecting free water
2. Support Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation
3. If you live in Saskatoon, submit a rain barrel rebate with us funded by the City of Saskatoon - Your Local Government

Rain Barrel Rebate: https://www.saskwastereduction.ca/rebate-form

Our Rainbarrel Fundraiser is still active and taking orders until May 14th with pickup from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm on Saturday, May 25th at our Rayner location.

Each rainbarrel has a leaf & mosquito filter basket, spigot, overflow adaptor, and overflow hose. A reminder that the city of Saskatoon provides a $40 rebate for all rainbarrels purchased by residents of Saskatoon (within the city limits)!!

Purchase your rainbarrel at our fundraising link: https://rainbarrel.ca/lswr/

Join us for the Recycling Council of Alberta’s webinar on 'Right to Repair – a Key Component to a Circular Economy'

🗓️ Date: Tuesday, February 20th, 2024
🕙 Time: 10:00 am to 11:30 am Mountain Time

This webinar will feature industry experts including our own Joanne Fedyk, providing clear examples of the right to repair in action within businesses and communities, showcasing its real-world impact. Following this webinar, you will leave with a better understanding of the right to repair movement, why it matters, and how to integrate the right to repair into your organization.

🔗 Register Today: https://recycle.ab.ca/workshop/webinar-right-to-repair-a-key-component-of-a-circular-economy/

It's that time of year again! The SWRC is getting ready to teach new Compost Coaches how to take organic waste and make them into something great. Leftover food, plants, and paper products are not trash - they are precious nutrients just waiting to be remade into plant food!

Training takes place February 24th & 25th in Saskatoon. For more information or to register, visit www.swrc.ca/compostcoach2024

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LISA!!

We asked Lisa, our Compost Coordinator, about one of her favourite gifts:

"Some of the coolest gifts I have received are custom-made socks and mitts from a talented friend. They are practical, durable, and also very beautiful! It means a lot to get gifts that took so much care to make, and I know that they were thinking of me while they made them."

This might also be one of our favourite gifts Lisa has received because it resulted in this majestic photo of our friend!

We hope you have a wonderful day

Take a peak at some of the top searched materials in the Waste Reduction Hub in 2023.

Luckily Saskatchewan has convenient drop off options through provincial recycling programs for some of these these searches like tires with the Tire Stewardship of Saskatchewan, used oil and antifreeze with Saskatchewan Association for Resource Recovery Corp. and batteries with Product Care Recycling at all SARCAN Recycling locations.

Unfortunately there isn't an easy solution for all of them in every area of the province.

Use the Hub at www.swrc.ca to search these materials in your community to see if you have an option available to you.

You'll notice tabs for "Pass it On" and "Repair" if you also have options to reuse or repair the item in the area you searched.

Reduce waste with cleaning product tablets!

Reuse any bottle, fill it with water, and dissolve the compact powdered tablet to make your own cleaning product.

🌎 Reduce plastic bottles
🌎 Reduce volume of packaging
🌎 Reduce emissions (energy needed to ship tablets is lower than bottles of liquid)

Here are some options that you can buy locally!

Naturebee at Mortise & Tenon Shop (Regina) and The Alternative (Regina)
✨ Foaming hand soap ($4/350ml)
✨ Multipurpose spray ($4/500ml)
✨ Dish Soap ($5/700ml)

Change Tabs at Mortise & Tenon Shop (Regina)
✨ Glass cleaner ($1.75/300ml)
✨ Glass, steel and ceramic cleaner ($1.75/tablet)
✨ Multi-purpose cleaner

MYNI at The Fill - Market (Swift Current)
✨ Glass & mirror cleaner ($3/500ml)
✨ All-purpose cleaner ($3/500ml)
✨ Bathroom cleaner ($3/750ml)
✨ Stainless Steel Cleaner ($3/750ml)

Most of these businesses ship across Canada.

*prices are approximate and don’t include tax or shipping

Interested in making a difference this summer? Travel around the province as a Recycling Ambassador or hang around Saskatoon as part of the Waste Education Team!

Detailed job descriptions:
www.saskwastereduction.ca/about/2024-saskatoon-waste-education-team-job-posting
www.saskwastereduction.ca/about/2024-summer-recycling-ambassador-job-posting

Join us to chat about the importance of waste reduction and repair! On the panel SWRC's own Bobbie Duns will be joined by folks from Saskatoon Makerspace, City of Saskatoon - Your Local Government and the Library of Things.

After the panel, there will be an opportunity to learn how to do basic clothing repairs. The repair stations that will be offered are:
👕 Seam Repair Station
👕 Hemming Station
👕 Sewing on a Button Station
👕 Bring your own Clothing to Repair Station (hand repair only)

To register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/waste-reduction-and-right-to-repair-workshop-tickets-763042730347

Would you like a Waste Reduction Award like Ness Creek Cultural and Recreational Society's Music Festival received last year? Submit a nomination telling us about all the wonderful waste reduction work you did in 2023!

Categories:
- Lifetime Achievement
- Individual
- School/Youth Organization
- Corporation
- Small Business
- Non-profit Organization
- Municipality (5,000)
- Partnerships
- Festival or Event

Thank you to SaskTel for sponsoring these awards.

More info: https://www.saskwastereduction.ca/events/swrc/waste-reduction-awards/

Keep mendable jackets out of the landfill and get warm jackets to those that need them!

Drop off locations:
Regina - dean Renwick Design Studio
Saskatoon - Reclaim Maternity Baby Kids
Moose Jaw - The Wandering Market

Since the beginning of the project in 2021, volunteers have repaired and redistributed 464 winter clothing items!

Some of the places jackets have ended up:
Station 20 west
OUTSaskatoon
The Lighthouse Supported Living Inc.
EGADZ Drop In Centre
Haven Kids' House
STC Health Centre
Saskatoon Friendship Inn
Central Urban Métis Federation Inc. (CUMFI)
Awasiw - The Place of Hope
Regina Transition House
YWCA Regina
Newcomer Welcome Centre
Moose Jaw Multicultural Council
Riverside Mission a Ministry of Souls Harbour Rescue Mission
Sweet Treats Candy Company (Warm Up Center)

Thank you to Affinity CU and SaskEnergy for continuing to sponsor this project!

More info here: https://www.saskwastereduction.ca/events/swrc/warm-hearts-jacket-repair-project

With many low waste alternatives and tips, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and worry that you're not doing enough. Remember that everything doesn't need to happen all at once!

(Meme inspired by on Instagram.)

Here's some info to help you figure out what you can put into your curbside recycling or compost bin in most communities in Saskatchewan. Follow local instructions if they differ from these lists.

Try to reuse as many of the items as possible! Keep gift bags, name tags, tissue paper etc and use next year.

Real Christmas tree composting options in the province: https://www.saskwastereduction.ca/events/swrc/what-do-i-do-with-my-christmas-tree

Not that we want to think about taking down our beautiful trees, but when you're ready, here's a list of options for where to dispose of real trees in the province.

https://www.saskwastereduction.ca/events/swrc/what-do-i-do-with-my-christmas-tree

If your community isn't on the list and you know where to take Christmas trees for composting, let us know!

We love reusing items. If you have unwanted or unused warm clothes give them to a group or organization that will redistribute to folks who need them.

If you don't have any unwanted warm clothes you can also buy new or used items to hand out as well.

It might not feel too cold out there for those that can easily find somewhere to warm up, let's not let the warm-ish weather stop us from considering those who can't. Everyone deserves to be warm.

Comment a group or organization in Saskatchewan who redistributes warm clothes in the winter!

Do you have any unique gift wrapping techniques that reduce waste? We'd love to hear them!

Know any waste reduction heroes? Nominate them!