Last week Yukon Energy announced that it won’t be proceeding with plans for burning municipal waste to create electricity.
A spokesperson for Yukon Energy was reported as saying that recycling groups in the city are opposed to “waste-to-energy” due to worries about the impact on their programs.
To set the record straight, Raven Recycling is not opposed to the “waste-to-energy” project on the grounds of competition. We are opposed because it will remove valuable materials from the recycling stream.
Burning recyclable materials creates energy once and that’s it. If we recycle those same materials then we use less energy than making new ones. Over time, we save more energy by recycling than we create by burning.
Recyclable materials are simply too valuable to burn for energy. Imagine burning banknotes to keep your house warm. You will get some heat from them but unburned notes are worth far more than the energy gained from burning them.
Raven sees all waste as a resource to be reused and recycled. We are pleased with the goal of diverting 50 per cent of waste from the landfill by 2015 but we feel that 75 per cent diversion is doable.
Raven Recycling is continuing its efforts to increase the amount of recycling and to make recycling easier for Yukoners. The more recycling that is done, the more the environment benefits - something that is good for all Yukoners.
Joy Snyder, executive director
Raven Recycling Society