The City of Saskatoon has partnered with the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council to provide many services to residents and community gardens related to composting and yards.
Home Visits
Set up a FREE Home Visit with one of our Compost Coaches. A trained volunteer will come by your home to answer your composting questions or help you start a home composting system of your own. And don’t forget to invite a friend or two if you know others who want to learn!
Home Visits generally take 15-45 minutes. To book your free appointment, call (306) 931-3249 or email compost@saskwastereduction.ca.
Compost Hotline
Have a composting question?
Simply dial (306) 931-3249 or email compost@saskwastereduction.ca. Please allow 1 business day for one of our trained volunteers to respond to your inquiry.
Compost Bin and Rain Barrel Rebate
We offer $20 rebates to Saskatoon residents who purchase a compost bin or rain barrel from a Saskatoon retailer. Your household is eligible for one rebate per item per year. Receipt and proof of Saskatoon residency (copy of utility bill, driver’s license, or similar) must be sent in with your completed Rebate Form. To apply, please fill out our online rebate form.
Composting Workshops
There are a number of free composting workshop offered throughout the year. For more information, visit www.saskwastereduction.ca/events/Saskatoon-composting-events.
Dishing the Dirt Research
The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council conducted a year-long study on the performance of 20+ home composting systems. The results of this research will be launched this summer and will help residents select the best composting option for their home.
Community Garden Services
Saskatoon’s Compost Coaches will work with 3-5 community gardens this year to develop and/or improve their composting systems. The Compost Coach Coordinator is currently working with CHEP’s Community Garden Coordinator to determine which gardens to ask to participate. We hope to expand this program to more community gardens in future years, but do not have the resources to engage all of the gardens at once.
The Compost Coaches will provide compost bin materials, assistance to build the bins, compost education/training as needed, monthly garden visits to assist with the composting process, and signage for the bins to show what goes in.
Community Gardens will commit to improving their composting system, help build the compost bins, recruit volunteers to help with the composting process throughout the season, and encourage their members to receive compost education/training.
Community Gardens who are not participating this year may still access composting support through the Home Visit and Compost Hotline services.
Green Cart Program
To register for the curbside Green Cart program for food and yard waste collection, visit www.Saskatoon.ca/GreenCarts. Please note that food waste is now accepted.
Community Gardens and lawn bowling clubs may also register for Green Cart collection.
Boulevard Gardening
Residents may garden on the boulevard adjacent to their homes. Please read the City of Saskatoon’s Boulevard Gardening & Maintenance Guidelines and complete the Boulevard Garden Agreement before getting started.
Healthy Yards Program
How-To Guides
The City of Saskatoon has partnered with experts from the community to develop a series of Healthy Yards How-To Guides.
Topics include:
· New Gardeners
· Composting
· Rain Barrels
· Low-Water Gardening
· Mulch
· Pesticide-Free Gardening
· Lawn Care
· Growing Food
· Biodiversity
· Small Space Gardening
To access the How-To Guides, visit www.Saskatoon.ca/HealthyYards
Gardening Workshops
There are a number of gardening workshop offered to residents throughout the year. For more information, visit: https://ccde.usask.ca/gardening/workshops
Demonstration Garden
The City of Saskatoon has partnered with the Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre and the University of Saskatchewan Master Gardeners to develop the Healthy Yards Demonstration Garden, located at the Garden Patch (900 block of 3rd Avenue North, just south of 33rd Street East and Warman Road).
Visit the garden for free at any time during garden hours. You’ll see a productive vegetable garden, rain barrels, composting systems, multiple types of mulch, pesticide free practices, native plants, and more!
Come for a self-guided tour, bring your lunch, or contact brit.m@saskatoonfoodbank.org to set up a group tour. Knowledgeable staff will be on site to help answer your questions.
Waste Wizard
The Waste Wizard provides an easy way to look up proper disposal information on recyclables, compostable items, hazardous materials, and other waste. The online tool is available at www.saskatoon.ca/wastewizard.
Master Naturalist Program
The Saskatchewan Master Naturalist Program is launching this spring in Saskatoon. The program is open to everyone and participants will learn about different facets of the natural world through a series of fun and interactive learning modules. The purpose is to develop a network of reliable, highly-skilled “citizen scientists” to assist with local conservation projects, while at the same time providing learning opportunities to people interested in nature.
For more information, visit the Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan’s website.