If you happened to swing by SARCAN yesterday afternoon, you might have enjoyed a free hamburger or hot dog. The recycling center was celebrating their 30th birthday in Saskatchewan, and in Weyburn as well.

Andria Brady, executive director at SARCAN, was working the grill at yesterday’s birthday bash. She appreciates the support SARCAN receives in the community.

“Thank you very much to everyone that supports us and recycles. And does their part to help keep our environment clean,” she said.

The barbecue took place between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. with donations being accepted.

Since 1988, SARCAN has recycled over 7 billion beverage containers, all which are recycled and put back to good use. Things like plastic bottles and aluminum cans would normally take between 400 and 500 years to decompose in a landfill.

Plastic bottles can be recycled and reused as lawn furniture, carpeting, or even sleeping bags. Cans and glass bottles are used to re-make more cans and bottles and can save up to 95 percent of the energy required to make the containers.

Over 94 percent of all aluminum cans bought in Saskatchewan ended up back at SARCAN for recycling in 2017.

Brady is proud of how the Weyburn SARCAN has expanded and become part of the community.

“The fact that it’s really grown over the thirty years, we actually have an employee that’s been here right from day 1,” she explained. “Thirty years of providing recycling services and also providing employment to lots of people over those years.”

Along with beverage containers, SARCAN also recycles old electronics and paint. Each year the recycling saves enough energy to power over 7,000 homes.