The future of recycling in Whitehorse might become clearer in a couple of months.
Soft plastics that are thin, flexible and do not hold a shape are no longer supposed to be dropped off at the recently renamed Raven ReCentre. But that’s not the only change happening there.
Soon the centre will be stepping aside in a big way in an attempt to incentivize the governments to take over recycling services.
“Without a city-wide collection system, the ability of Whitehorse citizens to divert material from the landfill has stalled,” reads a statement posted on the centre’s website earlier in 2023.
Formerly known as Raven Recycling, the centre is being rebranded to represent its interest in reusing, repairing and repurposing. The non-profit society that runs the centre came together more than three decades ago.
The move away from accepting soft plastics is due to changes in markets and sorting methods, according to a Facebook post by the centre which notes the centre can’t send mixed plastics to its brokers anymore or sort all soft plastic into categories that are recyclable.
The post reaffirms the centre’s commitment to the environment and determination to promote the “best possible outcome” from recycling.
The centre previously announced it will not be taking in cardboard, paper, tin cans or plastics at the 24-hour public drop-off bins starting on Jan. 1, 2024.
Other services such as the bottle depot, the Reuse Store and the electronics, metal, battery and textile recycling will stay open to the public, in addition to its other programming.
The recycling sector is in discussions with the City of Whitehorse and the Yukon government, according to the minister in charge of the file.
Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn told reporters in the cabinet office on Oct. 11 the incentive is working.
“The work to create a curbside system is currently underway,” he said.
Mostyn wouldn’t say when it would start or how much money the Yukon government would contribute to a recycling program in Whitehorse while negotiations are happening. He said recyclables will end up in the dump and increase costs to the city if they don’t get recycled.
However, a representative with the city told the News that a curbside program is only one of the options being considered by the recycling committee, which was struck after Raven ReCentre made its announcement earlier this year.
Ira Webb, the city’s associate manager of solid waste, said the group is analyzing the options and considering cost, resource capacity, feasibility to set up and timelines. A recommendation is anticipated to be made to city council in the next month or two as part of the 2024 budget.
Webb said some of the pros of a city-run curbside recycling program are accessibility and getting more material collected and out of the waste stream, but the city still needs depots.
If the program goes ahead, who is going to pay for it is still being worked out, but it could involve a user fee, Webb said.
Webb noted another issue is coming up with an option that will work with the Yukon’s extended producer responsibility legislation that’s also in the works.
Raven ReCentre’s new operational plans are intended to “help ensure a more comprehensive collection service in Whitehorse, in concert with the new extended producer responsibility regulations.”
Per the centre’s website, Whitehorse is one of the last cities in Canada without a city-wide blue box program.
“One of our recommendations has been to dust off the curbside collection feasibility study that we helped the city with back in 2016. The work has been done and we do not believe it should take long to update the feasibility study and add recycling to the current collection streams,” reads the frequently asked questions portion of the website.
For now, some Whitehorse residents might be wondering how they will recycle after 2023, but the centre doesn’t have the answer.
“We would also like an answer to this question and hope our governments ensure there is not a gap in service,” reads the website.
The website recognizes that the decision may appear that the centre is going backwards, but the centre maintains it is about increasing access.
“Our public drop off has reached its full potential to divert material from the landfill and is capturing well under half of the paper and packaging that is generated in Whitehorse. We are taking a risk because there is currently no commitment from government to fill the gap. However, we believe that this is the most responsible decision we can make because as long as we provide a drop off, there is little to no incentive for governments to improve the system,” reads the website.
No one from the centre was available for an interview by publication deadline.
The Yukon government has done a public engagement and published its what we heard report on extended producer responsibility.
Bill 28 was tabled in the Yukon Legislative Assembly on Oct. 10. Per the government’s press release, that bill would amend the Environment Act in order to execute an extended producer responsibility system in the territory. The new system will depart from the current waste management approach, which is subsidized by Yukon taxpayers.
The territorial government’s website acknowledges the “fragile and financially unsustainable” nature of the current recycling system.
“To help solve this issue, we’re adopting extended producer responsibility, which means large producers that sell products and packaging will be responsible for the recycling or disposal of it,” reads the website.
Per the website, the goal is to provide money for recycling, keep more waste out of landfills and reach waste diversion and greenhouse gas reduction targets set out in Our Clean Future, the government’s roadmap on the environment and climate change. The document commits the government to carrying out an extended producer responsibility program, which legally obligates producers of products and packaging to ensure those products and packaging are responsibly managed at the end of their life, by 2025.
While there is not a collection system, residents can choose to use the services of P&M Recycling (a family-owned business that accepts refundable beverage containers, cardboard, tin and plastic boxboard and paper products, per its website) or Whitehorse Blue Bin Recycling (which provides private curbside recycling for a fee throughout the city).
The general manager of Whitehorse Blue Bin Recycling previously said the drop-off closure at Raven ReCentre could lead to increased membership for the private curbside program given the free services have been considered competition.
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com