Waste Reduction Week starts this Sunday in the NWT and the GNWT says we can do better.
It notes that recycling of beverage containers dropped significantly during the pandemic to only 62 percent, compared to prior years in which it exceeded 80 percent. The government says the primary reason for the decline was caused by temporary closures of recycling depots during the pandemic. It says it’s time for residents to rethink their routines and get back to recycling.
The government is reminding residents that there are convenient drop-and-go programs in Yellowknife and Hay River, where you can drop off your beverage containers. And that it has expanded its e-waste program, accepting more types of electronic waste than ever before.
Since 2010, more than 69 million single-use retail bags have been kept out of NWT landfills and off the land. More than 400 tonnes of electronic waste have been collected for recycling since 2016. Since 2005, NWT residents have recycled over 378 million beverage containers.
