Two months after it was revealed that plastics, tin, and cardboard were being dumped at YellowknifeSA国际影视传媒檚 landfill SA国际影视传媒� a practice that has been going on for well over a year SA国际影视传媒� the city says itSA国际影视传媒檚 doing all it can to find partners that will accept the materials as Canada's recycling industry is struggling.

Right now, only cardboard is being accepted at the city's recovery facility in Edmonton.

The situation has left some residents disappointed and disillusioned with some Yellowknifers citing a lack of transparency from municipal leaders, along with worries that the current conundrum could undo years of social and environmental progress.

Garth Wallbridge, a local lawyer who served on Ecology NorthSA国际影视传媒檚 board of directors in the 1990s, is one of them.

Wallbridge, who ran a recycling collection business in Winnipeg in the late 1970s, says the city needs to clearly convey to taxpayers what the current state of the recycling program is SA国际影视传媒� and what itSA国际影视传媒檚 doing to solve the problem.

SA国际影视传媒淚 do not believe the city understands that by not being up front about what they are doing, and only offering platitudes when challenged, they are hurting any recycling program for decades to come,SA国际影视传媒� Wallbridge told Yellownifer in a recent interview.

SA国际影视传媒楧o something todaySA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淭hey should be very public: SA国际影视传媒榳e are having difficulties with the program but we are doing x, y, and z.SA国际影视传媒� Instead, they say they are meeting and thinking and planning,SA国际影视传媒� he continued. SA国际影视传媒淚 say do something today. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 what leadership is.SA国际影视传媒�

In July, a Yellowknifer investigation revealed that the citySA国际影视传媒檚 blue bins were being dumped at the landfill, a move the city initially blamed on summer staffing shortages at its baling facility.

However, it soon became apparent that recyclables SA国际影视传媒� tin and glass faithfully sorted by residents across the city SA国际影视传媒� had been landfilled at the site for years; the result, the city later said, of a declining international recycling industry.

Recycling market woes are a real and pressing issue felt by municipalities across the country.

In 2018, China, once the go-to importer of recyclables from Canada and much of the world, moved to prohibit about two dozen kinds of recyclables from entering its borders SA国际影视传媒� a restriction that has, apparently, drastically affected YellowknifeSA国际影视传媒檚 recycling program.

SA国际影视传媒淭he impact of this change has affected YellowknifeSA国际影视传媒檚 ability to send recycling south to receivers,SA国际影视传媒� stated a news release from the city on July 9, five days after Yellowknifer published its initial story.

Wallbridge said he accepts and understands the city is facing a global issue that has plagued cities across Canada. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 the citySA国际影视传媒檚 lack of communication with residents, Wallbridge said, that upsets him.

SA国际影视传媒淭ell me what the problems are. Tell the citizens what they are,SA国际影视传媒� said Wallbridge.

SA国际影视传媒淚 think the city is trying to hide this instead of being upfront and that is indicated by the fact the city isnSA国际影视传媒檛 telling us until (media) ask them the questions,SA国际影视传媒� said Wallbridge.

If the city canSA国际影视传媒檛 SA国际影视传媒渢hink (its) way out of the current system,SA国际影视传媒� Wallbridge said he worries YellowknifeSA国际影视传媒檚 recycling program will be harmed for a long time to come.

SA国际影视传媒淭o me this is critical. I donSA国际影视传媒檛 think they understand itSA国际影视传媒檚 taken a long time for people to become accustomed to the general concept of recycling," he said. "It might take us another 20 years to get back to where we were a year ago in terms of commitment by the people."

As a Yellowknife resident, Wallbridge said heSA国际影视传媒檚 willing to pay more in taxes if it means recyclables get shipped south SA国际影视传媒� even at a loss SA国际影视传媒� instead of being piled onto the citySA国际影视传媒檚 landfill.

SA国际影视传媒淚 just believe we canSA国际影视传媒檛 keep making a bigger mountain out of the dump,SA国际影视传媒� he added.

In an email to Yellowknifer, spokesperson Alison Harrower stated the city is continuing its efforts to find SA国际影视传媒渞ecycling partnersSA国际影视传媒� that will take cardboard, mixed paper, glass, tin and plastics.

SA国际影视传媒淚f there are no partners willing to take these materials, they are stored on site for a time while staff continue to seek opportunities,SA国际影视传媒� wrote Harrower.

Once the materials are exposed to the elements and become contaminated, their value evaporates, she stated.

SA国际影视传媒淭hey then have to be landfilled as there are no other options for the waste,SA国际影视传媒� stated Harrower.

She told Yellowknifer the problem the city faces is a SA国际影视传媒渘ational and complex issue.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淚f the city cannot find a receiver, there is no choice but to landfill,SA国际影视传媒� she concluded.

SA国际影视传媒業 was really disappointedSA国际影视传媒�

When news broke of YellowknifeSA国际影视传媒檚 broken recycling program, the messaging from city hall was the same across the board: keep recycling.

ItSA国际影视传媒檚 a message Lani Cooke is sticking with SA国际影视传媒� but for the Yellowknife resident, recycling simply isnSA国际影视传媒檛 the same following last summerSA国际影视传媒檚 revelations.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen I found out about the plastics, I thought, SA国际影视传媒榦h my goodness. All this work. All this focused energy on sorting out all the recyclables,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

Cooke, who once described herself as a SA国际影视传媒渉ardworkingSA国际影视传媒� recycler, was profiled by Yellowknifer for her meticulous sorting of recyclables. She wanted to do her part to curb climate change and preserve nature.

SA国际影视传媒�(Recycling) isnSA国际影视传媒檛 particularly fulfilling (anymore). It doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 feel like ISA国际影视传媒檓 doing my part,SA国际影视传媒� said Cooke in light of the recent revelations.

While Cooke admits thinking SA国际影视传媒渨hatSA国际影视传媒檚 the point?SA国际影视传媒� of recycling after the news broke, she still sorts and recycles, but the situation has forced her to take different avenues in her pursuit to preserve the planet.

Cooke says recycling plastics is now lower on her list of priorities in terms of environmental action. SheSA国际影视传媒檚 now moving to keep plastics from her home altogether.

If Cooke canSA国际影视传媒檛 be sure where her sorted plastics are going to end up, she wonders, SA国际影视传媒渨hatSA国际影视传媒檚 the point of putting them into the recycling bin?SA国际影视传媒�

Meanwhile, the city says itSA国际影视传媒檚 exploring SA国际影视传媒渁ll waste diversion alternatives,SA国际影视传媒� while continuing to urge residents not to give up on the program.

SA国际影视传媒淲e understand that some residents may be frustrated but we should not abandon sound waste management practices such as sorting of materials. Waste sorting is a key tactic that increases waste diversion from the landfill,SA国际影视传媒� wrote Harrower.

FACT FILE

The slumping international market is taking a toll on YellowknifeSA国际影视传媒檚 recycling revenue.
The city is anticipating $10,000 in recycling revenue by the end of 2019, a steep decline from what was raked in the year before.

2018 (total) $26,132.00

2019 (year to date) $5,298.00

(Source: the City of Yellowknife)