The City of Whitehorse is still working on plans for the replacement of recycling services as Raven ReCentre winds down its offerings. At its most recent meeting, Whitehorse council directed city staff to look more into both curbside collection and a drop-off depot to meet this need.
The city and the Yukon government are working together on this through a recycling committee, which has identified two possible interim solutions to ensure the diversion of recycling from landfills when Raven closes its bins. The alternatives for an interim solution are a central depot for city residents to drop off recycling or a curbside collection service.
A permanent solution will replace or take over this interim service once the territory’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) program is implemented.
EPR regulations set for development this year and in 2025 will put responsibility for diverting common packaging waste away from Yukon landfills in the hands of the waste producers. This is to be overseen by a producer responsibility organization (PRO).
There is sure to be a gap in recycling service between when Raven closes its drop-off service in September and the permanent recycling program created through EPR. What is to be done about that came up at city council’s April 22 meeting. On the table before the councillors was a recommendation that the city keep working towards an interim curbside pickup program, but councillors voted to also explore a temporary drop-off service.
The committee recommendation and initial motion before council was to direct city administrators to consult with the PRO and bring possible next steps towards the creation of a curbside recycling collection program back to council in June. Earlier this year, the territorial government offered a $2.4 million contribution to curbside recycling in Whitehorse.
At an earlier meeting, city staff had recommended against a city-run drop-off service, citing concerns about space and resources. At the April 22 meeting, Coun. Ted Laking asked for more information on this and suggested a depot might be a necessary step.
“I think that if we don’t do that, we’re going to end up with a period of time where there’s no recycling diversion occurring,” he said.
The city’s director of infrastructure and operations, Tracy Allen, reiterated concerns about space at the landfill facility and costs associated with managing a drop-off program.
City manager Jeff O’Farrell said that the city administration could only offer a best guess for how long it would take to set up a recycling drop-off depot. He said it could take between three and six months to get such a service in place, due to the amendments to city bylaws and assistance from a contractor that would likely be required to carry it out.
O’Farrell also offered information on the engagement the city is doing with the PRO and the importance of that.
Coun. Kirk Cameron expressed concern that a temporary city depot program could work at cross purposes with the permanent recycling solution being discussed with the PRO and suggested awaiting the end of that consultation. Mayor Laura Cabott also expressed support for the initial recommendation from city staff and said she doesn’t want to extract the city from discussions with the PRO.
Laking went on to ask if things could be sped up by outsourcing a recycling depot to the private sector.
“The idea of outsourcing a depot-type program. I mean, if the municipality was to outsource such a program, it would still be a municipal program. And as a municipal program, it would still require governing bylaws to be established. And a fee structure to be implemented,” O’Farrell explained.
Laking proposed amending the motion on the table, setting the city on the same path as before, but also asking city staff to present a budget amendment in May, creating a temporary fee-for-service drop-off depot for recyclables.
O’Farrell suggested that a budget amendment by May might not be feasible. Allen was also hesitant on the May deadline and noted that a depot option could result from the still incomplete discussions with the PRO.
Council passed the amendment and the amended motion.
Contact Jim Elliot at jim.elliot@yukon-news.com