Organization taking charge of paper and plastic packaging plans to expand service within 18 months
The organization taking responsibility for recycling of household packaging and paper products in the Yukon via the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program has the groundwork in place to start taking in paper and plastic packaging on Nov. 1.
Circular Materials, which organizes similar producer-funded recycling schemes elsewhere in the country, will be running the program. It operates in Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Alberta and now the Yukon.
Blaire Gaalaas, Circular Materials’ managing director for Alberta and the Yukon, explained that Circular is funded by companies that produce or import recyclable materials.
“EPR is a policy approach that shifts the cost and management of the recycling to producers from municipalities or taxpayers. Circular sits in the middle, operating collection systems and ensuring material is recycled,” she said.
Gaalaas said that as Circular takes over, things will remain status quo for the most part for Yukon residents putting their recycling out to the curb. She said Circular has contracted the same operator that was conducting the City of Whitehorse’s curbside recycling program.
One change will be the move of the drop-off depot from the Whitehorse landfill to Raven ReCentre’s facility at the corner of Galena Road and Industrial Road. Gaalaas explained that Raven has been contracted to collect the paper and plastic packaging that had been getting dropped off at the landfill depot.
“Raven will continue to do the good work that they’re doing in all their other areas. They collect lots of different materials and products for Yukoners,” Gaalaas said.
The materials being collected at the depot and curbside will remain the same for now but Gaalaas said plans are in the works to allow the acceptance of glass and flexible plastic packaging 18 months from now.
She added that those outside of Whitehorse will be able to drop their recycling off at existing depots and that curbside pickup programs in Haines Junction and Teslin will also continue.
Circular’s takeover of the EPR program and recycling in the territory comes just days before a territorial election in which one party has pledged to pause EPR.
The Yukon Party’s platform contains a measure stating that they would pause and reassess the implementation of the EPR program while working with the City of Whitehorse on an interim curbside recycling solution. The platform plank cites increased costs for small businesses as the reason for the proposed pause.
Gaalaas said Circular is prepared to work with any Yukon government that results from the Nov. 3 elections.
“So regardless of the government in control, we will collaborate. We will work with them to manage whatever outcome of this is deemed the best fit for Yukoners,” she said.
Under the current EPR framework, Circular is mandated to take over for Nov. 1 and Gaalaas said Circular has all necessary contracts in place to get started.
Materials collected in Whitehorse will be shipped to processing centres, largely in Edmonton but also elsewhere in Western Canada, Gaalaas said.
Asked about local recycling, Gaalaas said some glass is used as landfill crush in the Yukon and Louise McMahon, another Circular representative, said the organization has heard about local diversion of glass for glass blowing and other applications and expressed interest in further developing those markets going forward.
McMahon noted that the depot at Raven will be accepting glass separately from the EPR program.
Gaalaas said Circular is in a good position to collaborate with producers of recyclable material in the Yukon.
“We also have a really transparent, fair fee-setting process which these local producers may be obligated to report in and produce these fees depending on the type of material that they’re selling in their stores. So we help them through those processes to ensure that they have the best service, they can understand it and we can understand their needs,” she said.
Gaalaas explained that many of the questions Yukoners may have about their recycling service can be answered by an app that Circular is launching. It will help them identify the recycling services available to them based on their home address as well as information like curbside collection dates, hours of operation at depots and materials they can put in their bins. This information will also be available at circularmaterials.ca/yt online.
Recycling services for Yukon schools will be provided from day one and Gaalaas added that it’s hoped Circular will be collecting recyclable material from small businesses within 18 months.
Contact Jim Elliot at [email protected]