Yorkton native Ray Sass, Southeast Regional manager of SARCAN, has been recognized by the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement award.
Sass, who previously worked 25 years with SaskAbilities, spearheaded the creation of RecyclAbility. He also led the city of Yorkton in creating a Solid Waste Management committee.
Sass says he is humbled by the award and insists the key to success of the programs he has been recognized for is due in large part to surrounding himself with good people.
“When I first found out about it, actually, and I read all the backup material that people supported me on the nomination, I was quite humbled. But especially when I look back, you just take it a little chunk at a time, be dedicated to what the purpose is.
“There have been a lot of people that have contributed and made recycling and waste minimization a priority.”
The award, which is sponsored by SaskTel, recognizes efforts to reduce waste and increase recycling.
“Saskatchewan is fortunate to have many innovative leaders in waste reduction,” said Joanne Fedyk, Executive Director of the SWRC.
“These awards acknowledge the important work they are doing.”
Sass says there’s still a lot he wants to do moving forward.
“There’s continuous projects --- there’s always something to be done. For instance, plastics are a big issue. Products exposed to consumable goods and non-consumable goods are really at the forefront of recycling. Anything we can do as a SARCAN organization. I mean, we’re now recycling bottle caps and electronics, paint...there’s always something coming down the line. Eventually we’ll do something better with glass. It doesn’t happen overnight. Just try and foresee the next trend.”
