Government of Yukon
News archives
FOR RELEASE #08-253
October 20, 2008
Government Increases Funds Available for Recycling
WHITEHORSE – The Government of Yukon is providing an additional $273,200 annually to support recycling programs throughout the territory, Minister Elaine Taylor announced today.
“We are more than doubling our budget for recycling programs, to $518,200 from $245,000 last year,” Taylor said. “These new funds will help community recycling depots, schools, and other organizations provide a consistent, quality service whether they’re dealing with refundable or non-refundable materials.”
A new $75,000 program for recycling action and education in Yukon schools will be launched to support recycling awareness, composting and other recycling related activities. A final decision as to how the remaining $198,200 will be allocated among core funding, transportation, and capital equipment will be made shortly, following discussions with community recycling depot operators.
“We are confident the new funds for capital equipment will help community depots operate more effectively,” Taylor said. “We want to put a system in place for shipping recycled materials to ensure public funds are spent efficiently.”
Said Jim Taggart, President of the Conservation Klondike Society of Dawson City, “We are delighted with the government's openness to discussions on the funding required to support effective recycling and waste diversion throughout the Yukon. We look forward to working out the details next month on how to make such programs sustainable in the long term.”
Environment Yukon currently provides grants for capital projects and public awareness programs through the Recycling Fund and the Waste Reduction and Recycling Initiative. These funds support special projects, including capital improvements and public education.
“I am pleased we can demonstrate the commitment of the Yukon government to maintain and enhance the quality of our environment during Waste Reduction Week in Canada,” Taylor said. “We respect the work of the community depots and want to ensure they have the resources they need to help people recycle.”
The goal of ‘Waste Reduction Week In Canada’ (Oct. 19–25) is to inform and engage Canadians about the environmental and social ramifications of wasteful practices. It is organized by a coalition of waste reduction and conservation organizations from across the country, including Yukon’s Raven Recycling.
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Backgrounder attached: New programs and enhanced activities
| Contact: | |
| Matthew Grant Cabinet Communications 867-633-7961 matthew.grant@gov.yk.ca |
Nancy Campbell Communications, Environment 867-456-6794 nancy.campbell@gov.yk.ca |
Backgrounder: New Programs and Enhanced Activities
School Grant Program
Schools only will be able to access the $75,000 program. Its goal is to provide incentives for youth to recycle, reuse and compost. About $2,500 per school will be available to support recycling education, composting programs, recycling activities, and related efforts.
Core Funding for Registered Depots
Additional funds will be provided for core funding, which currently totals $77,600. There are 17 community depots registered under the Environment Act to handle the recycling of refundable materials (e.g. beverage containers). Depots voluntarily accept non-refundable materials (e.g. cardboard, milk jugs, paper products). Funding is provided in two ways: core funding and handling fees. Both core funding and handling fees are determined by the volume of refundable materials a registered depot handles.
Registered depots serve the following communities: Old Crow, Mendenhall, Beaver Creek, Tagish, Pelly Crossing, Burwash Landing, Dawson City (2), Mayo, Carcross, Ross River, Faro, Teslin, Marsh Lake, Carmacks, Mt. Lorne, Haines Junction, and Watson Lake.
Raven Recycling and P&M Recycling do not receive core funding from Environment Yukon but are paid handing and processing fees totaling about $668,000 a year.
Capital Equipment Support
Funds will be provided to help community depots acquire basic equipment needed for efficient operations, such as pallet jacks, balers, counters, weigh scales and/or forklifts (for larger depots).
Transportation Support
Additional funds will be provided for shipping recycled materials to processors in Whitehorse. A new system will be put in place to standardize shipping costs. Currently different carriers charge different rates and there is no incentive for depots to use the lowest rate. The Yukon government will use a public tender process to establish Standing Offer Agreements. The government will continue to pay the shippers directly.