After Yellowknifer revealed last week that at least some of the city's collected tin cans, cardboard and plastics were being sent straight to the landfill, Mayor Rebecca Alty now says the municipal baler is back at work SA国际影视传媒� but Yellowknife's recycling program is still facing challenges.
As of Monday, Yellowknife's recycling was being baled and stored after staffing shortages had put it out of action, she said.
The city's solid waste facility continues to offer recycling services, and SA国际影视传媒渉azardous materials and certain types of e-waste continue to be processed, stored and pelletized for proper handling,SA国际影视传媒� city communications officer Richard McIntosh told Yellowknifer in an email. Glass and plastic beverage containers can also still go to the Bottle Shop.
Plastics are meanwhile dumped at landfill. Following the publication of this article, McIntosh also confirmed that tin and glass had not been recycled in two years.
The city is working with Ecology North and Kavanaugh Waste Management Services, SA国际影视传媒渢o determine the best options for recycling moving forward, given the current global economy in regard to recycling.SA国际影视传媒�
In response to international market conditions, Coun. Niels Konge suggested investing in a shredder pelletizer, which would feed cardboard waste into the citySA国际影视传媒檚 boilers.
SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e really got to start thinking outside the box on some of this stuff,SA国际影视传媒� he said, pointing to his time in Aarhus, Denmark, where municipal waste went through a burner that fueled electricity and waste heat.
Instead of purchasing pellets, he said excess wood bound for the dump could be chipped and the boilers reconfigured to take the new fuel.
SA国际影视传媒淭he city stockpiles cardboard, which is the largest volume of materials which can be recycled,SA国际影视传媒� McIntosh told Yellowknifer.
The city bales roughly 32 bundles of cardboard per month from blue bins and another 46 from businesses. Each one is about two cubic meters.
SA国际影视传媒淲e really need to start thinking about not just recyclables (and) how to make (cardboard) a value-added product,SA国际影视传媒� said Konge. SA国际影视传媒淚f we made it a value-added product and invested a little bit more heavily in district heating, I think we could help with the cost of living."
He also suggested the city's waste management system should be privatized.
Coun. Shauna Morgan, meanwhile, said staffing issues needed to be addressed before buying new equipment.
SA国际影视传媒淏efore we run out and purchase any future equipment, we need to look at the feasibility of our biomass boilers that weSA国际影视传媒檝e got in place,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
There was always a potential for the boilers to take other sources of wood beyond industrial pellets, including wood chips or other biomass like cardboard or waste paper, she added.
Staffing, however, should still be a priority.
"As long as ISA国际影视传媒檝e been on council, itSA国际影视传媒檚 always been a challenge to get additional staff positions passed at budget time because thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a general perception out there that staff just means bloated bureaucracy and people wasting money and wasting time,SA国际影视传媒� said Morgan.
There tends to be more will behind equipment and infrastructure, but this also requires staff, she said.
While the blue bins dumped at the landfill may discourage residents from recycling, Morgan said residents should continue to recycle and that the balerSA国际影视传媒檚 issues were a SA国际影视传媒渢emporary blipSA国际影视传媒� due to SA国际影视传媒渁 very temporary staff shortage.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淧eople may feel that their trust in the city has been shaken,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淲hen they follow the rules and do what theySA国际影视传媒檙e supposed to do, can they trust that the system is working as they expect it work?SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淲e are doing our very best to operate as people expect and meet the standards that people. This isnSA国际影视传媒檛 us trying to pull the wool over people and trick them,SA国际影视传媒� she said, explaining residents can still trust the city.
