A recycling program for Saskatoon’s apartments, condos and townhouses has finally been approved.
City council passed a multi-unit recycling contract with Cosmo Industries Thursday.
“I’m feeling really good. We’ve come to an equitable solution. There have been an awful lot of issues raised and addressed and I think both the city and Cosmo Industries should feel comfortable with the agreement going forward,” said Ken Homenick, a board member with Cosmo.
City councillors needed over a year to debate the contract's details and Thursday’s motion didn’t pass without disagreement. Two councillors voted against the motion.
“I will be continuing to stick by what I did previously and not voting in favour of this. I wish I could be, but it just doesn’t make financial sense at this point,” said Ward 10 councillor Zach Jeffries, who voted against the motion alongside councillor Charlie Clark.
The city will pay Cosmo $3.88 per unit but will only collect $2.51 from unit dwellers under the new contract. The city is hoping a provincial recycling program will cover the shortfall, but the funds have yet to be guaranteed.
Cosmo was scheduled to deliver recycling services to multi-unit dwellings last September, but the date was pushed back multiple times. The company, which provides work for people with intellectual disabilities, now expects to deliver recycling to their first round of homes by November and to cover the entire city by January.
