The community of Fort Simpson is hard at work improving its waste management services.
Among its ongoing projects, Mayor Sean Whelly says the community is working on building an area to house composting, and is also to establish a partnership with other nearby communities to share the cost of a metal processing contractor.
However, as Whelly explains “These things take money.”
“There’s never enough when you’re dealing with landfills,” he says.
That’s why he says a new grant from the GNWT to support waste management and recycling initiatives is “warmly received and badly needed.”
On Feb. 8, the territory’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) announced a $50,000 grant for projects that aim to “reduce waste, reuse materials and products, recycle materials,” that aren’t already recycled in the territory, or “recover a useful benefit from waste.”
Municipalities, schools, businesses and other organizations are eligible to apply, as well as individuals. Certain guidelines apply, including a prioritization of projects addressing “priority materials” such as organics, paper, cardboard, and scrap metal.
Whelly says he’s happy that “The GNWT sees the value of investing in recycling, of investing in municipal landfills, making them greener and cleaner.”
The City of Yellowknife has its own plan to improve its waste management system: Introduced in 2018, its goals included expanding curbside pickup for organic waste, introducing differential tipping fees for recyclable and compostable materials at the Solid Waste Facility, and creating a dedicated salvage area for the facility.
However, the plan does not include a system to sort and manage recycling: As the City explains on its website, “The 2018 Strategic Waste Management Report recommends focusing our efforts on organics diversion and supporting businesses, apartments and condos with waste reduction and diversion opportunities. Curbside recycling requires extensive sorting of the collected materials.”
Yellowknife is a city that has long struggled with waste management compared to other Canadian cities: According to a 2018 report on the plan, more than 1,100 kg per capita of waste — about 23,300 tonnes in total — were sent to landfill in 2017. This is more than 400 kg higher than the national average of 701 kg per capita.
Interested parties have until April 4 to apply for the grant. More details are available on the Department of ENR’s website.