Advancing Waste Diversion - ICI Sector


It's time to take the next step to send less waste to the landfill.

Approximately 40 per cent of what goes to the landfill comes from businesses, institutions, industry and workplaces – not homes. It’s estimated that 42 per cent of the waste can be diverted through recycling or composting.

The City is exploring diverting more waste from non-residential properties known as ICI.

ICI is the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) sector and it's made up of small, medium and large businesses and organizations. This includes schools, hospitals and other public institutions.

The goal is to support greater diversion of waste from the landfill.

Strengthening recycling and other waste diversion initiatives will:

  • get us to our long-term waste management goals of becoming a sustainable community

  • defer a major capital investment in the development of a new landfill.

The City is gathering input from the ICI sector to develop the proposed regulations.

The recommendations will be refined using input from businesses, feedback from industry stakeholders, and best practices across Canada.

A report will go to City Council for consideration in the coming months.


It's time to take the next step to send less waste to the landfill.

Approximately 40 per cent of what goes to the landfill comes from businesses, institutions, industry and workplaces – not homes. It’s estimated that 42 per cent of the waste can be diverted through recycling or composting.

The City is exploring diverting more waste from non-residential properties known as ICI.

ICI is the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) sector and it's made up of small, medium and large businesses and organizations. This includes schools, hospitals and other public institutions.

The goal is to support greater diversion of waste from the landfill.

Strengthening recycling and other waste diversion initiatives will:

  • get us to our long-term waste management goals of becoming a sustainable community

  • defer a major capital investment in the development of a new landfill.

The City is gathering input from the ICI sector to develop the proposed regulations.

The recommendations will be refined using input from businesses, feedback from industry stakeholders, and best practices across Canada.

A report will go to City Council for consideration in the coming months.

Have questions about the updated draft regulations? Pose them here and have them answered by our team.

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  • My question is, how much garbage is coming from outside of Regina , eg: pilot butte, white city emerald park and all the acerage sites out that way. I'm guessing all of it. And they probably don't pay any extra fees. Why should the city of regina residents and businesses have to pay for that extra garbage. It's not our garbage and it is filling our landfill up way faster. Ban all garbage from outside city limits !!

    dale asked over 1 year ago

    The City of Regina’s landfill does receive waste from surrounding municipalities that pay the landfill fees. The fees are set to cover the expenses to landfill the waste and for the long-term maintenance, closure costs and on-going monitoring. Many of the surrounding municipalities already divert food and yard waste.  

    The provincial government, through regulations has been reducing the amount of landfills in the province to support regional landfills. 

  • I don't think you are getting to the big issue until you deal with the home/commercial building construction and demolition sector. This sector has operated for decades on the principle that- if you need to demolish a building you send in a demolition crane, smash the walls in, bulldoze everything into a pile and haul it to the dump. Same with new construction. Everything goes in a bin and is hauled to the dump. How do you think you are going to change their mindset to even consider recycling? They are interested in maximizing profits. Half these companies don't even have Regina as their head office. They don't care about Regina's garbage dump problems. They will have to forced to comply. How do you plan to do that?

    Wil asked over 1 year ago

    Establishing waste management policies for the construction and demolition (C&D) sector to divert material from the landfill is going to be explored following the implementation of the IC&I regulations. This could include mandated source separation of materials, landfill bans or surcharges for divertible materials. 

  • Wouldn't the food and yard recycle bins be a breeding ground for insects that would spread disease? Wouldn't there be grievous odors generated from food and yard recycle bins that would decrease your neighbor's enjoyment of life? Wouldn't it be more cost effective to just expand the landfill site?

    BTS asked over 1 year ago

    The City has been piloting the food and yard waste collection program with 2800 residents since September 2020. There has not been an increase in insects or odours reported. Your current garbage cart contains all the same waste today, the difference going forward will be the requirement to separate that waste into three bins; mixed recycling, food and yard (organic) and garbage. 

    A new landfill is projected to cost between $50 and $100 million.

  • Has the City reached out to other jurisdictions to adopt similar best practices? Nanaimo Regional District is targeting 90% waste diversion with the introduction of waste hauler licensing bylaw: 1. https://www.nanaimobulletin.com/news/rdn-solid-waste-management-plan-including-waste-hauler-licensing-recommended/ 2. https://www.nanaimobulletin.com/news/regional-district-of-nanaimo-waste-initiatives-receive-ministerial-praise/ This would be a great step towards tracking waste from ICI sector.

    Kaylee asked over 1 year ago

    The City did research of other municipalities and what they are doing with respect to regulating waste in the IC&I sector.  The City looked at Saskatoon, Calgary, Lethbridge, Metro Vancouver and the Okanagan Regional District. In Nanaimo,  waste hauler licensing is in addition mandatory waste source separation regulations (similar to the City of Regina's proposed regulations), expanded zero waste education, expanded industrial, commercial and institutional waste management, expanded construction and demolition waste management and zero waste recycling. If waste is separated by the generators, there is less need to regulate the haulers.

  • Have you looked to placing laws/restrictions to shippers/suppliers ? A lot of waste form businesses come from suppliers packaging. Have you also looked into the increase of home owners who use business bins now that they have less room? And “businesses” that offer waste removal and drop stuff off in random bins instead of taking it to the dump like they said they did?

    The problem is higher up then the consumers asked over 1 year ago

    Waste is a shared responsibility between all levels of government. Federal government's primary responsibility is control of interprovincial and international movement of waste and recycling material through regulation. They are in the best position to regulate packaging. 

    The issue of plastic microbeads provides an example of the effectiveness of the federal power in regulating products. In July 2018, federal government banned the use of microbeads in toiletries and prohibited the manufacture, import and sales of all toiletries containing microbeads. Most consumers are not aware these single-use plastics have been successfully eliminated from the Canadian supply chain. 

    The City provides waste services to residential properties. However, residences that have waste needs in excess of the City's program (cart size combined with collection frequency) or run a business from their home can opt for a private service to better suit their waste needs. 

    If you are referring to illegal dumping, it is prohibited in the bylaw but hard to prove and prosecute. 

  • Why not concentrate on taking care of existing infrastructure, like, for instance, streets in the inner city that are just a collection of potholes instead of starting new, expensive initiatives like this

    Weary Willie asked over 1 year ago

    In 2022, the City is investing $37 M in capital renewal of residential roads, bridge repairs and road improvements and upgrades as well as $18.8 M for regular construction and maintenance of roads, sidewalks, easements, alleys and bridges. 

    Establishing regulations to divert waste from our landfill extends the landfill life so that the City does not have to invest $50 to $100 million in building a new landfill. 

  • My employer is currently looking for ways to contribute to a compost program. Would need a large bin that could be added to daily and a regular pick up schedule throughout the week. Would this be something considered?

    Looking for business compost options asked over 1 year ago

    Yes, that is exactly what is being considered. All institutions (ex. schools, hospitals), businesses and industrial operators will be required to segregate all waste into recyclables, food and yard waste and garbage by January 2024. 

  • Do you have estimated costing for various types and sizes of organizations?

    x asked over 1 year ago

    The City does not have estimated costs for various types and sizes of organizations. Costs would vary depending on type of waste generated and volumes by each business. 

  • You responded below saying 'The City provides waste services to residential properties and the recycling service is funded through a user fee paid on the utility bill, therefore, if you do not receive City recycling you are not paying for it. Garbage however, is tax funded. There is a report going to Council regarding residential waste services funding in October. This report looks at funding options for residential waste services with a recommendation to remove the waste service from taxes and fund all residential waste services through a user fee.' I would hope if you are moving to a fee based waste service for residential that you are REMOVING the fees for recycling/compost.

    asked over 1 year ago

    The fee would include the costs for all curbside services, recycling, food & yard waste and garbage. The diversion services (recycling & food and yard waste) are mandatory services. 

  • Will this also apply to home construction and renovation companies to seperate out recyclable materials such as timber? Or is this planned as a second phase?

    Curiousness asked over 1 year ago

    The current proposed regulations do not apply to construction and demolition materials. Regulations for this sector are another phase planned for 2024 to 2026. 

Page last updated: 22 Sep 2023, 10:16 AM