MOOSE JAW — SARCAN’s newest depot reached a major milestone as company representatives, dignitaries, and members of the recycling team gathered to formally celebrate the building's grand opening on June 19.
The decision to upgrade Moose Jaw’s former depot follows an ever-increasing demand for recycling services in the province. The new venue offers twice the square footage, a brighter and cleaner environment, and improvements mean a far shorter waiting time for regular and bulk customers alike.
“From its humble beginnings in 1988, (SARCAN) has grown into a vital hub for recycling efforts across the province,” announced Christine Tell, Saskatchewan’s minister of the environment. “Today, we witnessed the beginning of a new chapter – a bigger and better chapter for SARCAN Recycling in Moose Jaw.
“Your tireless efforts have made Moose Jaw one of the busiest recycling centres in the province, handling more than 17 million containers last year alone,” she said. “That’s no small feat.”
With a provincial population set to exceed 1.4 million residents by 2030, the depot complements Saskatchewan’s solid waste management strategy, which aims to reduce waste per person by 30 per cent by the same date.
Last year alone, Tell said that SARCAN collected 84 per cent of the total number of beverage containers sold in Saskatchewan during the same period, making this system “one of the most effective in North America.”
“Annually, SARCAN prevents more than 46 million pounds of valuable resources from ending up in Saskatchewan’s landfills and waterways,” she then noted. Kevin Acton, SARCAN’s director of operations, said this amount of product could circle the Earth’s equator about three times.
A new state-of-the-art compaction device allows output to continue increasing while four times the amount of material can leave the site on each trailer load. An automated conveyor belt further saves energy by turning off when it’s not in use.
The depot uses updated forklifts that have transitioned from propane gas to newer electric motors. These forklifts are easier to operate, faster, quieter, and now generate no emissions.
“When we’re doing half a billion containers in a year… Finding those little efficiencies all throughout the system is just key,” explained Jane Hubbard-Richards with SARCAN’s communications team.
Hubbard-Richards said these improvements have been well received by the staff at SARCAN.
“At the depot I started at, the flattening equipment… was the size of a garbage can…,” she said. “It would take about 25 to 30 minutes to flatten one bag of… bottles.”
It’s through improved systems such as these that the depot’s staff could process the roughly 70,000 containers that it did on June 15 alone.
Carl Paulhus has been a member of the team for around 15 years and counts bottles for the drop-and-go program.
“I’ve noticed a lot of (improved morale) with my team,” he said. “They’re so hyped and so excited when they come to work in the morning; they just can’t hide it.”
Paulhus said his job duties are now streamlined and everything’s a lot more enjoyable – especially the reduction in heavy lifting requirements.
“I’m looking forward to it all because it’s going to be a fun experience (working here),” he said.
SARCAN operates under SARC, a parent organization that provides consulting, training, and leadership services to community-based organizations including Diversified Services in Moose Jaw. Through a partnership with SARCAN, Diversified Services helps operate Moose Jaw’s depot.
SARC’s executive director, Amy McNeil, said that SARCAN’s employees are its number one asset.
“They’re tremendous ambassadors and community stewards of our land, water, and our air, and I thank you all for your work,” she said.
The depot is located at 52 Highland Road and can be reached at 306-692-4285.
The new facility is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is closed on Sundays and statutory holidays.
