The province hopes the $2 million will help recycling programs continue, Environment Minister Nancy Heppner says. (Niall McKenna/CBC)

The Saskatchewan government is putting $2 million into recycling programs to help organizations to get through tough economic times.

The prices fetched by salvaged materials like cardboard and paper have plummeted over the past year. Many municipalities have said they might be forced to close their recycling programs.

Environment Minister Nancy Heppner said the government is spending the extra money to prevent that from happening.

"Our concern was that if communities and organizations stop recycling programs because of the economic downturn, then we wouldn't be able to get those people back," she said.

The grants include:

• $960,000 to the Saskatchewan Association of Rehabilitation Centres (SARC) to support cardboard- and paper-recycling operations.
• $376,000 to the Association of Regional Waste Management Authorities of Saskatchewan for recycling operations related to paper, plastic, tin and glass.
• $664,000 to the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association for cardboard- and paper-recycling programs not covered by the other two programs.

Wally Lorenz, chair of the Association of Regional Waste Management Authorities of Saskatchewan, said there have already been three rural recycling programs that have stopped handling cardboard and paper.

However, people in communities keep calling for recycling programs to continue, he said.

"It's the public that's been asking for this, this ability to recycle and separate material out of the waste stream," he said. "Hopefully, we can maintain that service for them for … the short period of time."

The Environment Ministry says its looking at the feasibility of running a province-wide recycling program for paper, plastic, metal and glass.