The impact of current and historical waste disposal practices on the environment and human health of Indigenous people in First Nations communities has yet to be adequately addressed. Solid waste disposal has been identified as a major environmental threat to First Nations Communities. A community-based participatory research project (CBPR) was initiated by the Saskatoon Tribal Council Health and Family Services Incorporated to investigate concerns related to waste disposal in three Saskatchewan First Nations Communities. Utilizing a qualitative approach, we aimed to gain an understanding of past and present waste disposal practices and to identify any human and environmental health concerns related to these practices. One to one interviews and sharing circles were conducted with Elders. Elders were asked to share their perspectives on past and present waste disposal practices and to comment on the possible impacts these practices may have on the environment and community health. Historically waste disposal practices were similar among communities. The homeowner generated small volumes of waste, was exclusively responsible for disposal and utilized a backyard pit. Overtime waste disposal evolved to weekly pick-up of un-segregated garbage with waste disposal and open trash burning in a community dump site. Dump site locations and open trash burning were identified as significant health issues related to waste disposal practices in these communities. This research raises issues of inequity in the management of waste in First Nations Communities. It highlights the need for long-term sustainable funding to support community-based waste disposal and management strategies and the development of First Nations centered and delivered educational programs to encourage the adoption and implementation of waste reduction, reutilization and recycling activities in these communities.

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Nipawin, Saskatchewan is in the preliminary stages of planning a commercial-scale ethanol plant which will use biomass as feedstock. Through gasification and catalysis, biomass will be used to produce 75 million L year -1 of bio-ethanol. This study proposed three means of supplying biomass to the plant: 1) wood residue, 2) hybrid poplar (HP) afforestation plantations, and 3) HP afforestation plantations irrigated with municipal wastewater effluent (MWWE). To analyze the performance of the ethanol, the lifecycle analysis (LCA) model GHGenius was used. Both afforestation scenarios assumed a 10-year growth rotation, after which the biomass was harvested for feedstock. The project baseline considered how the transportation fuels would have been produced and used in light duty vehicles (LDV) with conventional gasoline and was compared to ethanol blended with gasoline in the amounts of 10% (E10) and 85% (E85).Lifecycle GHG emission reductions were 5.5, 5.9 and 7% for E10 produced from wood residue, afforestation plantations and afforestation plantations irrigated with MWWE, respectively, and 67, 72 and 84% for E85 produced from forest residue, afforestation and afforestation irrigated with MWWE, respectively, when compared to conventional gasoline. Thus, bio-ethanol as a gasoline/ethanol blend is an important means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.