Regina offering free compost next week after food and yard waste pilot reaches halfway

The City of Regina is offering free compost to residents next week while supplies last after a successful first half of its green bin pilot.

The city said the free compost is to celebrate compost awareness week from May 2 to 8. The compost is from the city's yard waste depot and food and yard waste pilot.

"We're very happy to be able to give away free compost for residents to use at home, which is great for landscaping, flower beds and lawns," said Kim Onrait, executive director of citizen services, in a release.

Pilot participants will get the first opportunity on May 1 and May 2. The general public is invited to bring their shovels and buckets May 7 to 10 at the yard waste depot on Fleet Street.

The waste pilot started in September2020, with 2,800 homes across the city participating. After six months, the city says about 300 tonnes of material has been gathered and there's a 29 per cent reduction of garbage in the brown bins.

The city said 81 per cent of people were strongly satisfied with the program, 80 per cent said they used the green bin for yard and food waste and 35 per cent saidthere are challenges to be addressed.

City staff are working to address "areas of improvement" during the second half of the pilot, the city said. A city-wide rollout is expected in 2023.