Listen In Folks - What’s the Tea on Curbside Recycling, the Public Drop-off, and the Future of Recycling in The Territory?
The Raven Recycling Society has been advocating for a city-run curbside collection program for many years. We’re now close to getting one. Have a listen to Raven's Executive Director on the air with Fayth Starr on CKRW The Rush as she answers:
What are the updates on a cuRbside collection program?
How long will the Public Drop-off stay open for?
What is Raven doing as part of the government’s EPR regulation process?
What does the new regulation mean for the future of recycling in the territory?
>>LISTEN IN: Part 1 - Updates on curbside recycling and how long the public drop off will remain open
Here’s some of what was talked about:
“We have been helping the City develop a curbside recycling program for years. We’re hopeful that it will happen this time… We’ve been told that in March, the Mayor and Council will vote on including an amendment to the capital and operating budgets and vote on including a curbside program. We don’t expect to see a tender for a curbside program until April and it will probably be summer before a program is up and running. But, if they decide not to approve the amendment that is in front of them, we will close the public drop off immediately after. So that could be as early as the end of March.
The whole reason we are doing this is to create more recycling and create more access to recycling in the territory. So it could be that everyone who currently gets curbside garbage and compost collection in the city, will also get curbside recycling. It’s unclear if the city will charge residents for the service but it could be that there is a charge for their recycling alongside their garbage and compost on their utilities.
We’re one of the last jurisdictions in Canada
to get curbside recycling, if not the last.
A lot of people just expect this service.”
Heather Ashthorn, Executive Director, Raven Recentre
>>LISTEN IN: Part 2 - The EPR Process and What it means for the Future of Recycling in Yukon
Here’s some of what was talked about:
“For the past 2 years we’ve even active member of the EPR advosry council. That’s one of the consultations that YG is responsible for when developing new regulation. We’ve been the only environmental NGO at the table within a sea of producers and local businesses who’s interest is to keep their cost as low as possible. We’ve invested a huge amount of time, money and effort into keeping the focus of the regulation on the environment.”
Heather Ashthorn, Executive Director of Raven Recentre
Strengths in the regulation:
Waste management hierarchy - prioritizes reuse, says the producers are responsible for reuse over recycling
Multifamily residences included in the collection
Producers will have to pay for a curbside collection
Producers will have to manage a comprehensive list of materials - that means we will be getting glass, soft plastic and styrofoam recycling back in the territory
Weaknesses:
No targets
No standards for end markets or end of life management for material collected
No commercial material collected
Too much power in the hands of producers
No clarity on which stakeholders will have to be consulted
No meaningful metrics for stewardship plans
No arms length body to help with enforcement or hold government accountable
Lots of blind spots - less clear on what country residential and the communities outside of Whitehorse will do for recycling
What will Raven do next?
Reuseful Store - continue to grow that store make it a central feature of Raven Recentre
Continue Facility Tours with the school system
Reuse fairs in communities
Working on a recycled glass program with Lumel Studios
Expanding the Whitehorse Tool Library
Continue to run the bottle depot
Divert big bulky materials, like mattresses
Ewaste and Metals is still happening
Run the Computers for Schools Program where you can buy a refurbished computer, bring in old computer for upgrades, and receive tech advice
“There is still lots going on at Raven”
Heather Ashthorn, Executive Director of Raven Recentre