Here’s why some Regina condo owners may not have to compost for another two years

WATCH: Members with executive committee passed an option which would provide an incentive for condo owners to hop into the composting program early.

While most Regina homeowners have been composting for some time now, many condo owners still are not – and may not be until mid-2027.

The city began curbside yard and food waste pick-up in September 2023. However, it does not provide the service for many private condo complexes.

“There is limited processing about availabilities for food and yard waste in and around Regina,” Manager of city operations Kurtis Doney told Executive Committee Wednesday. “All food yard waste that we pick up in our green carts is composted right now. And that happens at the landfill.”

Earlier this year, Regina had plans to construct a permanent composting facility in the R.M. of Edenwold near Pilot Butte struck down.

The city is looking to find a new processor and is committed to getting a new and permanent site built.

According to the city, there are about 1,400 multifamily properties in Regina. It provides waste service for just over 420 of them.

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“There’s not local capacity to expand that to multi-family,” Doney said.

In May 2024, City Council approved a one-year extension to the effective date for the food and yard waste regulations for the multi-family sector, changing it from July 1, 2024 to July 1, 2025.

The change was to align with industry readiness due to the “lack of local organics processors,” administration said. As well as to allow for consultation with impacted stakeholders.

On Wednesday, Executive Committee members pushed that deadline back another two years following an update from administration, despite the recommendation it be pushed back 18 months.

“What we’ve heard today, everything from composting all the way to bio digesters, we have to look at what’s the best,” Ward 10 Coun. Clark Bezo said. “Do we want a project that has a potential waste a lot of money or do we want to have a project that has the potential of actually reducing landfill waste and eliminating landfill?”

“The city’s landfill is the largest source of corporate greenhouse gas emissions,” Ward 8 Coun. Shanon Zachidniak responded. “Deferring the deadline by 18 months [may] result in an estimated 11,000 tonnes of food and yard waste entering the landfill.”

“We are not being asked to do this. We do not need to move ahead with the two-year extension,” she added.

Local business owners would also have their deadline to begin food and waste collection pushed back to the start of 2028.

The motion to delay, put forward by Bezo, passed 6 – 4 at committee with Coun. Froh, Flores, Radons and Zachidniak voting against.

Despite committee’s passing, it requires final council approval at its March 26 meeting.