Representatives from Cosmopolitan Industries were out in full force Wednesday for the city's first public meeting on the four proposed recycling options at the Cosmo Civic Centre.
A man stood outside the meeting room handing out literature in support of Cosmopolitan Industries and Saskatoon Curbside Recycling, and a number of the 60 or so attendants for the afternoon discussion were Cosmo employees. A few others donned stickers that read "Cosmo Supports Recycling."
The meeting was the first of three public consultations over the next week. Presentations from the city's consultants were followed by an open mic session where the public had a chance to ask questions of city officials concerning the four options on the table: To keep the current depot system, to subsidize private curbside recycling, to expand the depot system or to adopt universal curbside recycling.
Many of the seniors in attendance spoke in favour of keeping the recycling system the same, with a number of depots set up around the city and the option of private curbside recycling.
Delores Cathcart said she's been using the bins for years and she doesn't see what's wrong with them. She does not mind taking things into her own hands and she said her daughter and neighbours don't either.
"I like it the way it is. I recycle everything on my own," she said.
At the heart of her ambivalence about moving to curbside is the fear of the effect it will have on Cosmo Industries.
"Who's going to process it? I'm scared that they'll privatize it, and who knows what will happen. Some big company will come in from out of province to do it and we'll lose local jobs."
Cathcart sported the pro-Cosmo sticker she received upon entering the hall and took extra pamphlets from the Cosmo employee for her friends who couldn't make the meeting.
One man supported the depot system, but pointed out the number of depots in the city has decreased during the last 10 years, as the population of Saskatoon has risen. Putting bins outside of apartment buildings and condos would be cheap and effective in diverting more waste from the landfill, he said.
Brian Sawatzky approached the mic several times to voice his support for the fourth option, adopting universal curbside recycling.
He was concerned that in the city's cost analysis of the curbside option, which is predicted to cost about $7 to $11 a month, they didn't account for any revenue from the recyclables.
"I don't think it's fair to option four that they didn't include any benefit from the recycled material," he said.
A number of Cosmo supporters tried to discourage the city from adopting the curbside option or at least to ensure that if universal curbside was adopted, that it be a multi-bin system where people sort their own recyclables, as opposed to a single, mixed-use bin.
Mike Stensrud, a volunteer with Cosmo Industries, said that an unsorted bin was guaranteed to result in broken glass and contaminated paper, creating a hazard for the group's intellectually disabled workers.
On his second turn at the mic, Sawatzky took aim at the Cosmo group.
"It seems unfortunate to me that that this situation has broken down to: Are you in favour of the mentally handicapped or aren't you in favour? I think it's unfortunate that some people want to paint it like that."
Jim McClements, who identified himself as an advocate of Cosmo Industries with a 39-year-old intellectually disabled daughter, drew applause from the crowd of about 50 at the evening session for his speech. McClements urged the crowd to elevate the debate.
"We need to remember the element of pride. There's no attempt, no vision that we could be better at this than anyone in the world, recycling in a responsible manner. Let's be the best. Why not?"
Jeff Jorgenson, Saskatoon's general manager of utility services, offered assurance for those concerned about Cosmo Industries.
"I can never see the day when city administration makes a recommendation that harms Cosmo and I can't see city council doing that either."
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