Saskatoon, Saskatchewan — The Saskatchewan Automotive Recyclers Association has submitted formal recommendations to the provincial government as part of the review of Saskatchewan’s Solid Waste Management Strategy, calling for recognition of existing environmental compliance systems used by licensed auto recyclers.
In its submission, the SARA said its members “represent the professional automotive recycling industry in Saskatchewan and play a critical role in environmental protection, material recovery and circular-economy outcomes through the responsible management of end-of-life vehicles.”
The association noted its facilities operate under the Canadian Auto Recyclers’ Environmental Code, a nationally established, third-party audited standard. It added that recognizing those audits would reduce regulatory duplication and allow enforcement efforts to focus on non-compliant operators. The submission also warned against treating end-of-life vehicles as unmanaged waste, stating that licensed recyclers “already deliver significant environmental value through parts reuse and material recovery.”
The association also addressed tire recycling and electric vehicle batteries. It said other provinces operate established tire recovery programs that could inform Saskatchewan’s approach and noted that a voluntary national EV battery recovery system is already in place. The SARA said policy decisions should reflect the current scale of battery volumes entering the recycling stream.
In its public consultation notice, the Ministry of Environment said it was seeking feedback to “help modernize Saskatchewan’s Solid Waste Management Strategy” and that submissions would be summarized in a public “What We Heard” report following the close of consultations.
Other organizations have also provided input as part of the consultation process.
Tire Stewardship of Saskatchewan, which administers the province’s scrap tire program, submitted an updated stewardship plan outlining its approach to tire collection, processing and recycling, stating the program is intended to ensure “responsible, environmentally sound management of scrap tires in Saskatchewan.”
Municipal groups have also participated in the consultation. The Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association has said municipalities play a key role in waste diversion and recycling infrastructure and has called for collaboration, stable funding and clear provincial frameworks to support local waste management responsibilities.
The consultation period for the updated Solid Waste Management Strategy closed in mid-January. The province has said the next step will be to review submissions and publish a summary of feedback before drafting revisions to the strategy.
