The City of Swift Current has approved a one-year contract agreement with Saskatchewan Abilities Council for the continued operation of the Swift Current Recycle Depot.
Swift Current City Council approved the one-year contract at their March 4 meeting, continuing a partnership which has been in existence since the Recycle Depot began operations in 2008.
"This is a good deal for recycling in Swift Current," explained City of Swift Current Engineering Assistant Dan Knutson.
The new contract was signed with a three per cent increase from the previous agreement, with the annual cost increasing to $157,881.
The Recycle Depot at 1101 North Railway St. W. recycles paper, cardboard, tin cans, glass and plastics.
Knutson notes that Swift Current's recycling efforts have been successful in diverting literally tonnes of material from the landfill each and every year.
"We've diverted 330 tonnes, and in paper that represents probably 600 cubic meters of material. That's a fair sized hole in your landfill you can leave for stuff that does need to be disposed in a landfill."
Knutson also explained the City of Swift Current is currently in the midst of a change to their recycling plans since BATCO Manufacturing announced their purchase of the Urban Forest Recyclers facility. BATCO takes possession of the facility on April 1.
Since the closure of UFR, Swift Current has been \shipping cardboard and paper to a bailing facility in Regina where it is marketed and sold to be recycled.
"That is a Plan B and it's really a temporary measure. There are some new things coming up that will happen in this next year. We should have a facility in Swift Current to deliver the recycled materials to. They will be bailing and shipping it to Regina, but at least we won't be paying a contractor to do the shipping," Knutson said after the March 4 City Council meeting.
Maintaining the Recycle Depot operational contract is also in response to a 2010 residential survey where city officials gauged community support behind potential recycling options, including enhanced collection services such as curbside collection programs. However, the results showed the most support for continuing recycling via the existing recycling depot concept.
