Waste Diversion
What's New?
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April 27, 2020
Compost Sales Resume
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April 17, 2020
Disposal of Cardboard as Waste
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March 24, 2020
Recycling and Waste Changes
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December 3, 2019
New Waste Sorting Tools for Commercial Waste
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August 13, 2019
New Waste Sorting Guide published
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January 1, 2019
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September 10, 2018
Raven Recycling Society to operate e-waste depot
Why is Waste Diversion Important?
Reducing waste in our landfill.
Waste diversion means reusing, recycling or composting materials that would otherwise be buried in the landfill.
To achieve diversion, materials need to be sorted into different categories. Materials lose their value when they are mixed together. Waste materials that are sorted retain their value and can be reused or made into new products - saving valuable resources, energy, and money. Diversion also extends the life of the landfill.
Diverting materials like metals, organic waste, electronic, and hazardous waste from the landfill helps stop the production of toxic leachate. Separating organic waste also reduces the production of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
Learn how to separate your waste using the new Waste Sorting Guide.
Whitehorse Solid Waste Action Plan (SWAP)
It's about finding balance.
With the input of stakeholders, the City created a Solid Waste Action Plan (SWAP) in keeping with common North American waste-related practices. Adopted by City Council in 2013 and identified as a strategic priority, the SWAP has an initial goal of 50% waste diversion.
The SWAP, which puts responsibility on individuals to sort their waste, is based on a combination of public education, financial incentives (differential tipping fees) and material bans at the landfill. In 2014 the Federation of Canadian Municipalities recognized Whitehorse and the SWAP with a prestigious Sustainable Communities Award.
Learn more about the SWAP at Whitehorse.ca/swap
Diversion Goal Meter
The City's Solid Waste Action Plan has an initial goal of
50% waste diversion from the landfill.
33% of our goal reached by end of 2019
What you need to know
We can do betterThe days of dumping and burning our waste, recyclables and compostables are over. Whitehorse is working towards diverting as much of our waste as possible from our landfill. Some Canadian cities are already successfully diverting 50% or more of their waste. The faster we get there the less costly waste will be over the long term. |
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Let's redefine garbage, togetherThe City is working to help make waste diversion easier for everyone. We have come a long way, but we need to work to ensure our waste is not really a resource being thrown away. |
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Rethink our wildernessThere are certain things that are just a part of life in the north. Living in Whitehorse means being conscious of the wilderness at our doorstep and adjusting our behaviour accordingly. It also means re-thinking some old ideas about wilderness, especially when it comes to waste diversion. |
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Garbage costs, but sometimes we can make it payYou may not like filing, making the payments or ensuring your waste gets diverted, but you know it's part of running a business, so you do it. However, do the diversion thing right and it might actually pay you. |
Waste Sorting App
Try our electronic app below! Alternatively download the 2020 schedule here.
Sorting your waste is easy with our What Goes Where app. Type the name of an item into the search bar and we will give you recycling, composting, or disposal options.
Follow these easy instructions to download the app to your phone or mobile device.
Waste Management Facility
What is the WMF? What happens there?
We’re not just trying to sound posh: the Waste Management Facility really is much more than a landfill! In addition to the landfill, there’s the compost facility, and transfer stations for compost, e-waste, metals, tires, large appliances, construction and demolition, clean wood, bulky items, and cardboard.
Why is it important to separate your waste?
Separating your waste means keeping materials out of the landfill that can be reused, recycled or composted instead. Unsorted waste that is thrown away is a lost opportunity. Waste materials that are sorted retain their value and can be recycled into new products, saving valuable resources, energy and money. Keep materials like metal, organic waste, electronics and hazardous waste from the landfill also helps to protect our environment from contaminated run-off that is known as toxic leachate.
Separating your waste is also important because it delays landfill closure, giving us more time to cover the City’s Landfill Closure Liability (LCL). The LCL is money set aside each year to pay for the clean-up and final closure of our current landfill. The yearly LCL dollar amount is directly correlated with the volume of waste landfilled. The less we throw in, the more time there is to pay the estimated $13 million it will cost to properly close and indefinitely monitor the landfill.
Based on current annual volumes of waste, it is estimated there are just 39 years of space left in our landfill. All over the country, communities are reducing costs by source-separating their waste and diverting it from landfills. Edmonton, Halifax, Nanaimo and others are diverting more than 50% of their waste.
Contact information
Where
The City of Whitehorse Waste Management Facility is located approximately six kilometers north of Downtown Whitehorse at Mile 91972 (Mile 919.72) Alaska Highway.
When
Weekdays - 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Weekends - 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Waste Management Facility closed Good Friday, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Questions?
For more information visit the Waste Management Facility website.
668-1621 during above facility open hours, or
668-8350 Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For information on how to increase waste diversion from your business, call the Environmental Coordinator at 689-5169.